


Reign of the Undead King

by Higuchimon



Series: Division of Destiny [1]
Category: Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-01
Updated: 2014-12-30
Packaged: 2018-01-17 21:04:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 40
Words: 112,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1402390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Higuchimon/pseuds/Higuchimon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme.  Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change.  For good or for ill.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Hunter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 1: The Hunter  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,662||story: 2,662  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** I am currently undecided on if there will be any romance in this story at all. If there are, there is an equal chance they will be m/m, m/f, or f/f, and could range from human/human to human/Digimon to Digimon/Digimon. There have been canonical character deaths in the past of this story and I feel there will be more in the future, though since I'm kind of making this up as we go along, I can't be entirely certain. I'm not going to rule it out, though. Of course, with vampires in the mix, death isn't always the end.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

Silence and shadows hung thick over the forest. Those few nocturnal creatures that moved did so at their own peril. Most had taken care of their business before the night grew too deep. 

Not that night ever ended in this shattered world. But there were periods where the darkness thinned a little, enough so that people could see one another without the use of flashlights or torches. 

There were children born now who had never known the touch of the sun, and some who didn’t remember it at all. 

The adults remembered. Most tried not to think about, faced with the grim reality that the sun might never shine again. _He_ didn’t want it to, and _he_ had had matters his way for ten years now. 

Everything that happened in this world and the other happened because of _him_. Of _them_. The two unquestioned, unchallenged rulers of two worlds. 

Once there had been those who fought them. Stories still gusted and whispered about them, murmured only where it was felt no one could hear them. That wasn’t always true. But those who fought had failed and worlds suffered for it. 

Footsteps scurried along through piles of fallen leaves. A soft voice gasped in a vain attempt to catch his breath. 

_Where…where is he? Where are they?_ Large eyes turned this way and that in a vain attempt to find answers. No one saw _them_ until and unless they wanted it to happen. Especially when the person who looked was the target of the hunt. 

He leaned against a tree, fingers clutching the bark for support, breathing hard. He wished he didn’t have to. It would draw them to him. He didn’t think he had a chance to escape anyway, but he wanted to pretend, if only for a few more moments. 

No one escaped them when they hunted. They always brought their prey to ground. 

Was that a movement? He stared at where he thought he’d seen it, drawing in deep breaths, not caring how loud they were so long as he had air in his lungs. He needed that to run. 

In the beginning, he’d tried to have some kind of a plan. If he could just avoid them for long enough, he could get away. He would be _safe_. 

He should’ve known better. No one was safe in this world anymore. 

Silver-white mist ghosted up, and his heart plummeted, his mouth drying up. No. No, this _couldn’t_ be, he’d barely had time to do anything, why did they have to find him _now_? 

He broke. Legs pumping, hands yanking cobwebs and tree branches and leaves out of his way as he surged to one side, away from the creeping hands of fog that bespoke _his_ arrival. 

The prey didn’t care about finding a way out to whatever vague, hinted at sanctuary might exist beyond their borders. All he cared about now was surviving another few moments. 

He ran. He didn’t think; thinking was for people, not for prey. He remembered _his_ words now, clear and sharp as a knife in his heart. 

_Run as long as you like. Run as fast as you may. Run as far as you wish. But in the end, you will fall._

He hadn’t wanted to believe it. He knew this had happened before, multiple times over the last decade. Rumor had it that the leader of those who’d once fought against the Undead King had been the first. He’d never put any real stock in those rumors, but now the idea thrummed hard behind his eyes. 

If Yagami Taichi fell before the master of the world, then what chance did _he_ have? 

Fog swirled before him and he jerked himself out of the way of it. If he could stay out of the fog, then perhaps he would be safe. Perhaps… 

He thudded directly against a powerful man-shaped _thing_ and didn’t care that he whimpered in terror. Blue eyes looked down at him, pale thin lips curved upward into a mockery of a smile. 

“The hunt is over.” 

Other figures came from the fog; the rest of the Undead King’s pack, he knew. They could do nothing to him, however. Lord Vamdemon brought him to bay; therefore, by the laws of the hunt as he’d heard them before he was released, he belonged to the overlord. 

“You always win, Vamdemon-sama.” There was the faintest hint of a pout in the words as the vampire king gathered his prey up in one hand and bent his head to the side. 

He didn’t want to hear any more of this. He wanted all of it to end. His chest ached; his legs throbbed from how fast he’d run. He’d lived for years knowing that he could die at a vampire’s teeth. Now that it was about to happen, he wanted it to _end_. 

The bite, when it came, was quick. If one good thing could be said about the Undead King, it was that he dealt with his meals quickly once he brought them to ground. The torment always came before that. Once caught, he finished it all in moments. 

Tonight’s prey was no different. 

* * *

Vamdemon licked his lips clean of the last traces of blood. This one wasn’t as well-fed as some meals he’d enjoyed in the past, but that wasn’t unexpected. Humans weren’t as well off as they’d been ten years ago, at least not the ones that he had access to. 

He dropped the carcass to the ground and gestured toward DeviDramon. “Get rid of that. He’s not worth bringing back.” 

“Yes, sir!” DeviDramon, who had once been his most loyal servant PicoDevimon, dragged the body away. Vamdemon never asked what became of those whom he chose not to raise again. He didn’t really care to know. 

Instead, he looked toward the rest of his pack. There weren’t many of them, only about half a dozen. He was quite selective about those who followed him. His alliance with Piemon gave him access to the finest of options, as well. He could afford being choosy. 

“Have you fed tonight?” Though his pack always ran with him when he hunted, most knew well enough they stood no chance of bringing down the prey, and took care of their needs beforehand. 

“Yes.” The one who’d spoken before of his victory nodded quickly. “I did, at least.” 

His gaze fell on the others, most of who agreed they’d fed. Only one shrugged, and he wasn’t surprised at whom it was. 

“I thought I had a chance.” The brunet hadn’t changed very much in the last decade. His loyalty to his master was unquestionable, of course, but his attitude remained much the same. 

“Then go.” Vamdemon didn’t wait around to see him leave, but lifted into the air, followed by the rest of the pack. The night was young still and he had free time ahead of him. He didn’t bother with the petty details of ruling; that was what people more suited to it were for. 

So, he indicated for the pack to return to the mansion and occupy themselves in some useful fashion, while he set his course for the gateway. Few beings other than himself or Piemon dared to cross through this without permission. The guards on it never gave him so much as a look. The Undead King, the one who ruled this world without question, could do as he pleased. 

Nor did the guards on the other side look at him in anything but devout fear and abject worship. He paid them no mind, turning his steps to where he knew Piemon would be. 

The clown Digimon stood watching two of his servants sparring back and forth. Beside him stood his favorite minion, masked and silent as always. Vamdemon thought at times he couldn’t even remember what the boy had once looked like. Not that it mattered anymore. 

“And how has your night been?” Piemon didn’t look up as Vamdemon came to stand beside him. 

“Not as interesting as some.” Vamdemon admitted, watching as the servants fought with tooth, claw, and special attacks. Whoever came out on top would be considered for a promotion. Whoever failed would return to being an egg. 

Rising in Piemon’s ranks required an ability and a willingness to kill that grew more and more common with each passing day in his dominion. Perhaps that was why his chief enforcers were those who’d once stood against him. They knew how to kill to survive. 

Piemon watched the two battling it out, a thoughtful tilt to his head. “You had a hunt tonight, didn’t you?” 

Vamdemon only shrugged; he hadn’t come to discuss dinner. “Have you found any trace of Gennai yet?” 

For ten years the old man had hidden from them. There were others who hadn’t been seen in that time as well, though if they had joined him or if they’d fallen victim to the Chosen or the Dark Masters as they’d extended Piemon’s grip on the Digital World no one knew. Getting answers out of the Chosen wasn’t always easy, even for their masters. 

“Nothing as of yet. But Koushirou is tracing down some interesting leads, or so he told me.” Piemon’s lips twitched a fraction. “He and MugenDramon work well together.” 

“So I’ve noticed.” Vamdemon spared a small glance for the silent blond next to Piemon. “Is there anything else that we need to take care of?” 

“Not at the moment.” Piemon leaned forward as one of the sparring warriors below sliced through the armor of the other, who fell back, dark ichor spewing from the wound. “I think this is it.” Vamdemon watched as well; he always enjoyed a good show, and Piemon put on some of the best. The loser raked one last time toward the victor, who kicked her opponent away with a scornful glare. In moments, she was the only one who stood in the battle arena. 

“Well done, Enshoumon.” Piemon spoke, his voice carrying easily out there. The warrior Digimon bent her head toward him, features impassive and cold, despite the fiery attacks Vamdemon had seen her using in battle before her final strike. “Return to quarters, you’ll be contacted about your promotion in due course.” 

Vamdemon dismissed the whole battle from his mind as Piemon turned his full attention toward his ally. “We’ve nearly done it.” 

“We have done it.” Piemon waved one hand carelessly. “Whatever idiocy Gennai dreams up is nothing that we can’t deal with. He could call a thousand new Chosen and we would destroy them all as easily as the first.” 

Vamdemon’s lips thinned into a smile. “I do wish he’d try. I haven’t fed from someone who could do more than run in too long.” The first few years had held glorious hunts, humans who knew how to fight and clung to life desperately in order to keep it. One by one they’d all fallen. A tragedy, if only for the lack of decent meals it gave him. 

“I’m certain he will. I’ve heard rumors.” Piemon gestured for him to walk along and the two headed toward the innermost parts of the citadel. “He’s been attempting to contact humans through the portal.” 

“I haven’t heard anything about that.” So far as he knew, even Gennai would have to approach the portal to communicate across the void of worlds. None of his guards had so much as mentioned anything of the sort. 

Piemon’s eyes hardened. “He has something in mind, but I can’t get the details yet. My spies haven’t wormed their way in enough.” 

“I’ll keep a watch out.” He had human servants who were skilled in such matters; it was time to put them to use. What good was ruling an entire world if one couldn’t use it from time to time? 

* * *

He sailed through the dark skies, casting about for anyone that might satisfy his gnawing hunger. He supposed the others were right; he should’ve fed before the hunt. In the last decade, so few had beaten Vamdemon-sama to the prey in a hunt that it only made sense to do so. 

Still, he’d hoped. He’d tried. If the human had turned to the left instead of the right, it would’ve worked out in his favor. 

Well, it hadn’t, and he needed to feed. Those were Vamdemon-sama’s rules: they all had to feed at least once a day, to avoid the hunger overcoming them. He’d seen it happen once before and it wasn’t something he wanted to see again. 

So, he coasted along, running his fingers absently through thick clouds, and watching for anyone who might be a good enough meal. Or as good as they were likely to get these days. Humans just didn’t have anything good on their bones. 

Far below, something moved. He hovered where he was, watching curiously. There weren’t really supposed to be any free-range humans in this area, so why… 

He moved, guided more by an instinct than by having actually seen anything. Something small and sharp flew by, and he reached out one hand to snag it from the air. 

_An arrow?_ A wooden arrow, at that, so clearly not an average hunter. He smiled, fangs glimmering. So someone thought they could play vampire hunter, did they? 

He might not have beaten his master to the first prey, but perhaps this prey would be even more rewarding. He hadn’t seen someone trying to hunt them in at least seven or eight years. The way he and Vamdemon-sama had torn through the first batch who thought they could end the Undead King’s rule had proven how stupid that was. 

Swift as he could move, he darted downward, looking for whoever had dared to fire at him. The arrow itself was too new to have a scent on it, but the archer would be there somewhere. Large brown eyes, adapted for nearly a decade to see through the shadows, searched, while his hands scrambled through trees and bushes. He didn’t fear a forest; wood needed to penetrate his entire body to have any real effect on him. He would never forget the idiot who thought by luring him into a thicket that he would be weakened or defenseless. 

That idiot had made a fine meal at that. 

There! His eyes brightened for a moment and he shot closer, silent as a leaf upon the wind. The would-be vampire hunter bit off a few words under his breath and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. The vampire didn’t know where he was going, but he doubted the other would make it. How could he, with Vamdemon-sama’s most skilled hunter on his trail? 

Yet the other did seem to know a little more than the vampire thought he would, racing through the trees at a speed few humans could match. He’d clearly put some time in learning how to run away from vampires. A good trick; the pack were the only vampires in this world. 

But he couldn’t run forever; a clearing up ahead would give the vampire a good chance to grab onto him and then it would be all over but the feeding. 

He swooshed ahead, coming down to rest on the far side of the clearing, wanting his prey to at least think that he was safe. It would make it all the more enjoyable once he knew that he wasn’t. 

He waited…and waited…and waited. 

And there was no sign of the hunter. The vampire frowned; he hadn’t heard the other running since he’d sped ahead, but he hadn’t expected to. Was he somewhere else? Had he turned around and gone the other way? 

Thin lips moved into a smile. A prey who knew how to think? To plan? This looked like it could be more interesting than he’d first thought. 

Yagami Taichi licked his lips. This would be the best meal he’d had in _years_. All he had to do was find it. 

**To Be Continued**


	2. The Resistance

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 2: The Resistance  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,822||story: 5,484  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** I am currently undecided on if there will be any romance in this story at all. If there are, there is an equal chance they will be m/m, m/f, or f/f, and could range from human/human to human/Digimon to Digimon/Digimon. There have been canonical character deaths in the past of this story and I feel there will be more in the future, though since I'm kind of making this up as we go along, I can't be entirely certain. I'm not going to rule it out, though. Of course, with vampires in the mix, death isn't always the end.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

_Miyako’s going to love this._ Daisuke stared after the shape, which would’ve been only barely visible if he didn’t have his new goggles on. As it was, he could see the humanoid form hovering in the sky more or less clearly. A tiny part of his heart, the part that still remembered a boy with a broad smile and goggles of his own showing him how to have fun with a soccer ball, twisted at the sight. He did his best to ignore the memory. _That_ Yagami Taichi died ten years ago. This one would gladly lay his throat open to the bone and drink every drop of blood that came out, if he were lucky. 

If he were unlucky, this Taichi would make him like he was, and the last thing Daisuke wanted to do with his life was spend it feeding off other people. 

He stayed where he was, not daring to move while the vampire still hung in the sky and searched for him. Vampires were hunters, he recalled his lessons, and like all hunters they could pick up movement easily enough. He’d been lucky to escape so far. 

_I bet I could outrun him, though._ Or at least outmaneuver him. He’d seen how fast a vampire could fly and he knew he couldn’t run that fast. He wouldn’t need to; he’d just need to be able to get somewhere where the vampire couldn’t follow. Those places were few and far between these days, sad to say. 

Careful inch by inch, he touched his crossbow, wishing that he dared to try to shoot the other again. Taking down Vamdemon’s favorite minion would be worth celebrating for _days_. 

But one thing Ken had drilled into his head was that you only took one shot, and only when you had safe cover to dive into, just in case you missed. If you did miss, then taking more than one shot gave the vampire a chance to locate you and if you were in that safe cover, it should _stay_ safe. There weren’t that many people who were willing to fight against Vamdemon and his legions and they had to keep themselves alive any way that they could. 

Daisuke didn’t always agree with Ken’s point of view on this, but so far they hadn’t lost that many people, and so far as they all knew, Vamdemon didn’t even know they existed. That gave them more room to work with, and the hope that they could find a way to overthrow him one day. 

The whole thought of living in a world of light again sent a thrill all through him. He remembered the sun and moon and stars, of being able to stand outside in the wind without worrying if it would take his scent to a passing bloodsucker, of laughing and having fun with all of his friends. He wanted that kind of a world again. 

His teeth ground together faintly. He’d have it. _They_ would have it. He wasn’t going to let it not happen. So he couldn’t take the shot on Yagami now. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t get one in the future. He just needed patience. 

He didn’t like being patient. He wanted to shoot Yagami and get it over with. 

Before he could get another bolt out of the case on his back, he tilted his head a fraction at a flicker of movement, and had to bite back a sigh. The vampire had already moved out of range, probably on his way to finding some poor soul who wasn’t ready to defend himself. Daisuke ached to go after him, but turned his careful movements back the way he’d came. He was already risking enough leaving a scent trail. They didn’t _know_ if a vampire could track them by scent alone, but Ken’s rules were clear: better safe than a sucker. 

Well, that wasn’t how Ken had put it, but Daisuke liked to phrase things to suit himself. 

He took his time going through the woods, breaking his trail by crossing over a slow running stream and walking on what remained of an old road to avoid leaving footprints. It wasn’t the best he could do, but since he arrived at the entrance to their hideaway with all of his blood safely tucked away inside of him, he counted it a win. 

Before lifting the latch, he took one last look around himself, wanting to reassure himself that there weren’t any vampires in the area. Nothing looked out of place. Not even a single wild animal moved, which didn’t surprise him. Animals tended to stay out of sight when a vampire was on the prowl. 

He lifted his eyes to the sky, wondering what he would’ve seen if all of this had never happened. Would it have been a blue sky today? Or maybe rain? 

Thanks to Vamdemon, he’d never know. But he would make certain that this didn’t last forever. Even if he had to drive a stake through his heart personally. 

* * *

‘Lifting the latch’ wasn’t all that he had to do in order to get through the doorway. Just lifting it enabled a temperature sensor, which checked to make sure he was still giving off the right amount of body heat. Vampires, as they’d all learned the hard way, weren’t nearly as warm as humans were. If he’d registered below normal, the door would lock and remain that way until someone who did test properly came to see what was going on. 

As it was, the door slid open silently and Daisuke stepped inside, heading for the next test without a moment’s hesitation. The sooner he got through all of these, the sooner he could take a shower and get a few hours of sleep before his next training session. 

Of course, he’d have a debriefing session before that, which would probably bore him to tears, if not into actual slumber. 

“Describe Vamdemon.” The voice wasn’t one he recognized, but there wasn’t anything unusual about that. Whoever was on duty here changed on a regular basis. No one wanted to get so bored with the job they started to do it badly. Door monitor duty was dull as dishwater, but when you were dealing with people coming in from the outside, too necessary to let fail. 

“A complete jerk who needs a serious kick to every body part, alphabetically and in order of importance. Twice.” That was his registered response; if he were under a vampire’s thrall, it was unlikely that he’d give it without a moment’s hesitation. “And maybe backwards, just for good measure.” 

He would’ve used more creative insults, but Miyako insisted that the responses at least make some kind of sense. He didn’t know her reasoning for that, other than to annoy him, but he wasn’t going to argue about it. There were more interesting matters he and Miyako argued about. 

As soon as he’d given the correct answer, a section of the floor slid away to reveal a long set of steps. Daisuke walked down without hesitation, his destination the elevator at the end of the corridor he found himself in once at the bottom. 

Getting into their underground base wasn’t easy, at least not for someone who hadn’t been tuned into the system almost since the beginning. Newcomers found it kind of overwhelming. Daisuke found he kind of liked the routine. Not that he planned on admitting that. 

By the time he arrived in the central planning room, he’d been underground for almost half an hour and in the actual base for fifteen minutes. He’d given three more passwords, had his blood sampled, and a small clipping of his hair taken to make certain he wasn’t a Bakemon in disguise. 

“Anything worth reporting?” Ken asked the moment that he stepped into the room. Daisuke set his crossbow and case of bolts down on the nearest table. What vague kind of weapons etiquette they’d hashed out over the years indicated that no one went _visibly_ armed while around the others. 

“Saw Yagami Taichi.” Daisuke threw himself down into the torture device that masqueraded itself as a chair. The moment the words passed his lips, everyone else in the room froze and looked at him. Daisuke enjoyed the attention for a few moments before he kept on talking. “I took a shot at him, but he moved too fast.” 

Absolute silence reigned for nearly one full second before Miyako slammed her hands down on the table, glaring at him. “You missed? Did he see you?” 

A thousand other questions hovered on her lips. He didn’t know how she held herself back from throwing them all at him, but he suspected they would come as soon as he answered her. 

“I don’t think so. He chased me a little, but I lost him.” 

Iori’s eyes narrowed at him. “You didn’t outrun him.” It wasn’t a question. Daisuke shook his head. 

“He flew ahead of me, actually. I was a lot closer to a hiding spot than he knew, so I waited until he left, and came back here.” He ran one hand along his cheek, knowing how thick the dirt was and how much he needed that shower. 

Miyako drummed her fingers against the table. “How did the goggles work?” 

Daisuke pulled them off and set them in front of him. “Fine. It was a lot easier to find him than I thought it would be.” 

She picked them up and started to go over them, checking for any kind of damage. There were scratches and scrapes, he knew, but he didn’t think there was anything that needed severe repair. 

“Anything else?” Osamu asked, speaking up without looking up from his screen. Most people avoided anything to do with the internet, but he insisted that his blockers kept them from being located. So far, he’d been right. 

“Nothing really.” Since the main purpose of his trip had been to test the goggles and their ability to pick a vampire out of the shadows by their lower body temperature Daisuke counted that as a success. He’d not really expected to hit whatever vampire he saw with his bolt, but he’d taken the chance when he saw it was Yagami Taichi. Taking out Vamdemon’s most ruthless disciple would’ve been an incredible coup. 

Before he thought about it, he’d even said that. Ken shot him a disapproving look. “It would also have told Vamdemon that we exist long before we want him to know. For that matter, what you’ve done now could do that.” 

Daisuke groaned, slouching back into his chair. “All they’ll know is that someone tried to kill him. They’re not going to know that we really exist. It could’ve been anyone who managed to put together a crossbow. Or buy one. They still sell them, don’t they?” 

“They’re not illegal, but they’re not easy to come by.” Iori pointed out, his fingers laced together before him. “It might not be a disaster, but we should still be careful on any further trips outside.” 

“Which we should be anyway.” Miyako pointed out, looking up from the goggles. 

Daisuke started to say something, when a hand swatted against his head. He caught a glimpse of red hair from the corner of his eye and heaved a sigh. “Hi, Jun. What was that for?” 

His sister gave him a firm look. “You were stupid. Someone has to smack you when you’re stupid.” 

“If we got paid, you’d get a bonus for that.” Miyako teased. Daisuke rolled his eyes; when those two started, it was better just to let them get it out of their system. He had other things to do. 

“I’m going to get cleaned up and get some sleep.” He’d deal with getting food once he was able to eat it without falling asleep over his plate. 

No one argued with him as he pushed himself to his feet and headed down the cold steel gray corridors until he reached his quarters. They weren’t much. The room he remembered he’d had in the family apartment ten years earlier had been larger, but not by much. He had a bed, a table, a chair, and a closet to keep his spare clothes in, what little there were of them. Unlike that room, this one had a small bathroom, which was something Shuu and Shin had insisted on when helping to plan it. Everyone had their own bathroom. Getting the plumbing set up had been a nightmare, but making certain no one had to wait for a shower helped keep tempers just that little more under control. 

He felt sorry for them some days, though neither one would’ve wanted the sympathy. To know that one’s brother was on the other side, willingly or not…and no one knew how ‘willingly’ any of the ex-Chosen were. No one knew anything but the vaguest stories, and since most of those stories had come from the Digimon on the other side, no one knew what to truly believe. 

Daisuke kind of hoped they would have a chance to find out the truth one day. 

* * *

Osamu kept his attention on his screen, eyes flickering over the information he was digging out of the archives. Not all of it made sense just yet; some of it would have to be decrypted before they could put it to any use. 

A message popped up; one from one of his lesser informants. Nothing very important, just the movements of some supplies that needed to be diverted from one of Vamdemon’s outposts to their use. He shot off a quick note to have someone deal with it. 

His shift was almost over, but he didn’t slow down for a moment. All of this needed doing, and he counted himself the best person to take care of it at all. 

A hand rested on his shoulder and he looked up into violet eyes much like his own. “You’re not going to overwork tonight.” Ken’s voice held an edge of gentleness that very few ever heard from him. Osamu managed a small fraction of a smile, one that he seldom could work up. There was too much work to do to smile. 

“You won’t let me, will you?” “Should I?” Ken’s expression hardened a fraction and Osamu knew the only answer that Ken would ever allow him to make. Instead of saying anything else, he started to close down everything. His replacement would have her own work and her own contacts to deal with. Those who contacted him knew when his shift ended and if it were important, they had ways to get in touch with him. 

Sometimes he wondered just who it was on the other end of the screen. He’d never met any of them. It was better if they didn’t know more than the basics about one another, just in case anything happened. Some of his contacts were in Vamdemon’s army, and if he or any of his loyal servants suspected, it would put this small rebellion at risk. 

Each of their shifts ended at different times; that was to keep everything from being too routine, so their minds didn’t get cluttered and sludgy. But Ken insisted on his and Osamu’s ending at the same time, bar any sort of emergency, because he flatly refused to let his older brother sit at the screen constantly, which he _would_ do if someone didn’t pull him away from it. And the only person Osamu would listen to about getting some sleep was Ken himself. 

Ken stood back, arms folded over his chest as Osamu stood up, his legs wobbling a little. He hadn’t moved in too long, he realized, and he thought he’d skipped a meal as well. Ken usually noticed, but he’d been busier than usual today, with Miyako fiddling with a couple new devices and Daisuke out testing the new goggles. 

“Dinner first.” Ken bit the words off, jerking his head toward the exit. Osamu couldn’t help but smile at how much of a mother hen his younger brother could be. 

_Mom would be proud of him._ His heart twinged a fraction at the thought, but he didn’t let it show on his face. He didn’t dare; Ken didn’t need that kind of pain in his life, and if he could do nothing else, he could at least make certain Ken didn’t hurt like that. 

He took one glance around before they left. Miyako still hunched over the table, going over the goggles with a careful cleaning solution. Iori had his own screen up, busy burying himself in his own work. Jun had left shortly after Daisuke did, likely to make certain he had something decent to eat when he got around to waking up. She took care of her brother much the same way that Ken took care of him. 

They had to take care of each other. They were all they had. 

**To Be Continued**


	3. The Prisoner

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 3: The Prisoner  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,595||story: 8,079  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** I am currently undecided on if there will be any romance in this story at all. If there are, there is an equal chance they will be m/m, m/f, or f/f, and could range from human/human to human/Digimon to Digimon/Digimon. There have been canonical character deaths in the past of this story and I feel there will be more in the future, though since I'm kind of making this up as we go along, I can't be entirely certain. I'm not going to rule it out, though. Of course, with vampires in the mix, death isn't always the end.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

She didn’t bother opening her eyes a lot of the time. There wasn’t much light in here to begin with, so she wasn’t missing seeing anything. She could hear everything that happened. Not that much did, not here in Vamdemon’s dungeons. Not here, in a cell she’d left a handful of times since being thrown into it.

How long ago had that been? Five years? Six? Seven? She didn’t remember anymore. Time belonged to a world with the sun and stars, with friends to care about one, and a fa…

Time meant nothing in here, where the only voice she heard on a regular basis was that of her guard on the rare occasions when she spoke and on an irregular basis, her captor himself.

She hadn’t heard from him in a long time. At least, she thought it was a long time.

After all, time meant nothing here.

She could’ve tried to guess by how often she ate or slept, but even that didn’t really work. She was fed irregularly, and she had no way to tell how long she slept. There was just no way.

It had been years, that was all she _could_ be certain of, and that because of one thing that couldn’t be changed: she’d grown. Not much, not nearly as much as she would have if she’d lived in a world of light and warmth and abundant food. But the clothes she’d worn on that dreadful day no longer fit and others were brought for her. Though she didn’t know why; no one saw her. Still, she didn’t complain. Even if no one saw her, she didn’t want to sit around in rags, or worse. What she wore wasn’t fancy by any means, but they kept her covered and that was enough.

There was enough light here that if she chose to open her eyes, she could see. There wasn’t anything to look at, not here. She had a small bed, with only two blankets and a thin mattress, and a pot that passed for sanitary facilities, scrubbed out twice a day by some of the monsters. The dungeon wasn’t too cold, but she didn’t think that was her benefit. It was just the way that it was. She didn’t care to register a complaint.

Footsteps came closer. She didn’t bother sitting up. She knew who it was, and she thought she knew why.

“Breakfast.” The sound of a tray being set outside of the bars, then slid through the opening. She knew what it would be: water, bread, and porridge. The same breakfast she always had. She vaguely thought of steamed rice, of miso soup and natto. What had she had for breakfast that last morning? She couldn’t remember anymore.

A lot of her memories had faded over her years here. What use did she have for most of them? She didn’t need to think about anything, because nothing happened. Be it night or be it day, she stayed in this cell. When she got out of it, she didn’t have to do anything. She only stood where she was directed, her guard by her side, and watched as monsters paraded around doing…something. She thought it was some kind of a celebration, but she was never entirely sure, and it ceased to matter after a while. Whatever they did didn’t require her to think about it or even to understand it. She just had to sit and wait for it all to end.

If her stomach hadn’t commanded, she wouldn’t have bothered eating as often as she did. She didn’t know if there was a reason to stay alive, but she just couldn’t bring herself to give up and die. Maybe there were reasons she didn’t know about. It wasn’t much of a hope, but it was all that she had.

She inched her way over to where the tray rested, finding it more by feel and experience than bothering to open her eyes. Sometimes she kept them closed just to see how long she could do so without _needing_ to open them.

Even without looking, she knew her guard stood there still, as she always did. There wasn’t any reason to talk to her. Her guard never hurt her, never even touched her, but there was just nothing for her to say.

Her guard seldom spoke to her, either, save for letting her know when meals arrived or when it was time for her to leave the prison for whatever reason. Though once in a while, other words were said.

Such as the day when the little white cat who had once been her guard didn’t turn up anymore, replaced by the guard who stood there now, tall and gray-haired and red-eyed, speaking almost as little as she herself did.

“Tailmon is no more,” the new Digimon spoke, her voice striking chords of fear throughout the young captive’s soul. “I am LadyDevimon.”

LadyDevimon hadn’t ever given an explanation on why the other one vanished. She hoped the little cat was all right somewhere. Perhaps she’d run away. A cute creature like that didn’t deserve to hang around in a place like this. She hoped that the cat found friends somewhere else. Maybe even a fa…

No, she wouldn’t think _that_ word. The word that had even less meaning for her than sunlight or freedom or fresh air. The word that hadn’t mean anything since the day she’d opened the door to let a monster in that wore the face of her brother.

She chewed the tasteless bread, letting her thoughts linger on other places and other times, few and far between as they were. Anything that wasn’t of that moment, the moment when everything she’d known shattered.

What was the world like outside of here now? She’d been taken out sometime earlier for one of those celebrations or whatever they were and she’d heard something about years. She couldn’t remember if anyone said how many or even what they’d meant by it. Sometimes she wondered if she should pay more attention to what was going on around her.

What would be the point, though? She would never be able to escape here and if she couldn’t escape, what else would she do with whatever she ended up knowing? Nothing. Nothing at all.

There was so much she’d forgotten, or just didn’t bother to think about anymore. Had she forgotten it when she didn’t even think about it? When it never crossed her mind? She wasn’t sure, and it didn’t seem important enough to think about now.

Sometimes she wondered if she’d lost her mind from being in here all this time by herself. Maybe she had. Or maybe it didn’t matter.

The porridge was just a touch over lukewarm, enough so she ate it instead of pushing it away. Sometimes it was cold, and she’d passed the food up more than once when it was. It all depended on how hungry she was at the time. They never forced her to eat. It was always up to her.

Eating was the one time of her day that she actually did something. Walking her cell lost all meaning after the first thousand times or so. She did that just so her legs wouldn’t forget how to work, and that was usually when she bothered to open her eyes, that and when she ate. Sometimes. Like now.

She didn’t bother to look up at her guard. LadyDevimon. She’d done that once and seen the other looking at her with eyes that spoke of pain somewhere deep inside. She didn’t want to feel sorry for this monster too, and have her taken away.

She didn’t want to think about how the little cat had vanished and was ‘no more’. She thought happy thoughts about the cat, because she’d always loved cats, and wanted the best for them.

She tried not to think about Miko. She wanted her parents to have taken good care of her. She wanted…

She wanted more than she would ever have, and she knew better than to start wanting, because the first thing she wanted was to have her _brother back_ , and that would never, ever happen.

 _He belongs to me now, Child of Light._ His words. His voice, staring down at her, eyes as blue as the sky once was, lip curved to reveal fangs sharper than knives.

The one memory she clung to harder than all the others was of the look on his face when he’d sunk those fangs into her own neck…

_She’d struggled as hard as she could to get away from him, but a child’s strength was nothing to him. If she lived, she knew she’d have bruises where his gloved hands gripped her. If she lived. She didn’t think she would. Taichi hadn’t._

_She tried not to look at where her brother stood, lounging carelessly against the wall, paying little attention to her as compared to watching the monster that prepared to eat her. She’d screamed herself hoarse once already trying to get him to stop whatever he was doing, and he hadn’t listened to her at all, and that wasn’t Taichi. He always listened. He always cared. He always tried to help her._

_But now he looked bored, as if he wanted to do something more than watch her be shredded._

_The monster pulled her close to him, shoving her head to one side, and those teeth moved, sinking into her neck, and it **hurt** , hurt more than she’d ever known something could hurt and she didn’t die from it…_

_And then she was on the floor, shaking all over, blood dripping from her neck, hardly able to think or speak._

_“Master? Vamdemon-sama?” Taichi moved closer, all of his attention on the monster and not for his sister. “What’s wrong?” “She’s the Child of Light. I should’ve realized…” He shook his head, wiping his mouth, and spat out what she realized now was her blood. “Bring me someone fresh. Someone I can get this taste out of my mouth with.” Taichi hurried away, moving as lightly as a feather, and she trembled, heart pounding as those cold blue eyes moved to look down at her._

_“If I can’t feed from you, what good are you going to be?” He didn’t seem to expect an answer, and she didn’t have one to give even if he had. She wanted to get out of here and find her parents, find someone who could explain to her what was going on, and make all of this **stop**._

_But she never did._

She scraped every bit of porridge from the bowl, made certain not to leave a single crumb from the bread, and drank the glass of water dry before she pushed the tray back through the bars and moved back over to the bed. She didn’t feel like walking just yet, and she’d had enough of looking around the empty room. Her prison had no windows as such; just a set of bars far too high for her to reach no matter how high she reached, which let in a little wind. She wasn’t allowed books or music or visitors. It left her with a large amount of unused time on her hands, all day every day. So she did what she always did.

She stretched out, eyes closed, and imagined herself and that cute little white cat and Miko, all together far from this dismal place, walking in the sunlight, unafraid and happy together.

* * *

LadyDevimon carried the tray to the kitchen, leaving it where the Veggimon would clean it up and set the next meal on it whenever that time came. Her meals weren’t a regular thing; just enough to make certain she didn’t die. Those were Vamdemon-sama’s orders, issued after he’d made up his mind to keep the girl captive.

Vamdemon-sama refused to let his prisoner die, even if that would be a blessing. Perhaps especially if that would be a blessing.

LadyDevimon had her own suspicions on why, bolstered by conversations she’d overheard between him and Piemon at various points in the last decade. No one knew everything about the Chosen Children and what they could do, much less the Chosen Child of Light herself. Killing her could’ve only caused her to revive somewhere else, somewhere where Vamdemon had no control over the situation. Better to keep her where he could watch her.

She didn’t have to spend all of her waking hours across from Hikari, though the thought of doing so wasn’t such a bad one. Or it wouldn’t have been if Hikari were more like she’d been as a child. Some part of her would always be pulled to the Child of Light, and she suspected she knew the reason why.

She wouldn’t ever utter her suspicions out loud, and barely liked to think them, lest Vamdemon-sama find out. The identity of the Eighth Digimon interested him to this day almost as much as the identity of the Eighth Child had a decade earlier.

LadyDevimon took one peek into the cell before going back to her own room. She didn’t need to; there wasn’t any way Hikari could get out of there. Vamdemon kept the key to the cell tucked away only where he knew about it, and the lock itself was all but impossible to pick, and wasn’t even where Hikari could reach it. If anyone else wanted to try, they would first have to know the girl even existed, and find their way into his fortress, and through everything else set up to make certain that no one did just that.

What Vamdemon wanted to keep, he kept. He wanted this world and he had it. He wanted to defeat the Chosen, and he’d done just that. She couldn’t imagine anyone being able to beat him, not at this point. Not when he and Piemon-sama held the balance of power between them, when four Chosen served him as his undead slaves, the other three lived under Piemon’s thumb, and the eighth could scarcely remember her own name.

There would be no epic rescues, no rising from the depths of despair, for this world or for the Digital World. Whatever the humans or the Digimon tried, she knew it was doomed to failure. She knew she should at least be grateful that she could stay close enough to Hikari to watch her without Vamdemon-sama suspecting anything. It was better than being destroyed.

The most she let herself hope for was that Vamdemon would relent and let the girl pass on one day, or that it would somehow happen naturally. It wouldn’t save the world, by any means, but it would mean Hikari wouldn’t suffer in this prison any longer. She didn’t like to hope for that, but it was all she could do.

She chose a book from her shelves and settled herself where she could see if Hikari did anything. Not that she thought the girl would. But if it so happened, she would be able to watch.

If she could’ve, she would’ve liked to take Hikari out to fly, just for a little while. One benefit of her permanent evolution to Perfect was her ability to fly freely. Hikari would benefit from the fresh air, such as it was. Perhaps she could even take the girl to the Digital World, which didn’t suffer from the shadows the way that this world did.

Those were all dreams that she doubted would ever come true. But those were all the dreams that she had left.

**To Be Continued**


	4. The Spy

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 4: The Spy  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,791||story: 10,870  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** I am currently undecided on if there will be any romance in this story at all. If there are, there is an equal chance they will be m/m, m/f, or f/f, and could range from human/human to human/Digimon to Digimon/Digimon. There have been canonical character deaths in the past of this story and I feel there will be more in the future, though since I'm kind of making this up as we go along, I can't be entirely certain. I'm not going to rule it out, though. Of course, with vampires in the mix, death isn't always the end.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

Wind tugged at his clothes as he soared through the air, his attention kept sharp and alert for any sort of danger. Human or Digimon, he wasn’t very particular about which type, so long as he avoided it. For all of his caution, he didn’t feel he had much to worry about; humans tended to avoid Digimon, treating them all as enemies, and there wasn’t a Digimon there who didn’t know who he was. 

Sometimes having the reputation that he did didn’t set well with him, but his options were limited. He wouldn’t go back to the Digital World, no matter how often Gennai wished him to. He had to keep a watch out for her. 

For them, really, now, and it hurt to know how close they were and yet didn’t know each other. Not the way that he felt they should have. 

Wizarmon landed on a tree branch and looked out over the city. When they’d first arrived in this world ten years earlier, the same view had been bright with lights and alive with people moving all over, no matter the hour. Now only a few select areas, those where Vamdemon’s servants and slaves ruled supreme, had the benefits of electricity, and humans who dared to move around did so with the greatest of caution. 

Somehow, this all had to end. He’d spent most of the last decade searching for some way to bring that end about and for all of his efforts, almost nothing had changed. 

He closed his eyes for a few moments, wondering yet again how all of this happened. He couldn’t help but feel it was wrong on some level, but for all of his efforts, he still didn’t know how to fix it. He didn’t know if it could be fixed. 

Standing around here wouldn’t do anything, though. He leaped back into the air, eager to continue his patrol. He wasn’t searching for anything or anyone in particular at the moment; simply checking to see if everything remained as it should. At least, those were his standard orders from Vamdemon. 

Wizarmon liked to interpret them a little differently. If he found something or someone who needed help, he would find a way to give them that help without them realizing that he’d done it. Humans wouldn’t _want_ to know that he’d helped him, nor did he want them to know. They needed to fear Digimon, at least for now. It would help them survive if they didn’t treat the invaders as potential friends. 

One day, he hoped, humans and Digimon could learn to live in peace with one another. But for that to happen, Vamdemon and the Dark Masters would have to be defeated. And for that, they needed… 

Well, he didn’t know what they needed, only that right now, they didn’t have it. He’d thought they needed Chosen Children once upon a time, and had positioned himself in Vamdemon’s army in order to help at the right moment. That moment hadn’t ever come. Disaster had instead. 

Never, ever would he forget the moment when Vamdemon and PicoDevimon, as he’d been then, returned to the castle from some trip or other with a fresh captive in tow. The raw, bloody wound on her neck spoke of what had already happened to her, as did the terror on her unconscious features. 

He’d often thought about what might’ve happened if he’d followed his instincts and rescued her, taking her to Gennai instead of leaving her to rise up again as Vamdemon’s follower. Could Gennai have changed her so that she wasn’t…like she was now? Vamdemon’s obedient and eager servant… 

Wizarmon pulled in air through his nose and shoved the thought away as he had countless times before. What was past was past and he needed to focus on how to fix what had happened already, not trying to undo events that happened ten years earlier. 

He would need to contact Gennai soon and see if the other had any new information from his side of the gate to report. So far, he himself didn’t, and that worried him more than he wanted to admit. He expected the humans to do something more than cower in the shadows. He _wanted_ them to do something more than that. The Chosen – such as they’d been – hadn’t been a rare breed, had they? 

Perhaps if he tried to communicate more with humans, he could find some willing to do something about Vamdemon. It wouldn’t be easy; there were plenty of them who served their new masters without question, and if he revealed his true allegiance, he would be finished in a matter of moments. It was hard enough keeping his loyalties safe from Vamdemon as it was. 

But perhaps Gennai could give him a hand there. He’d mentioned a few times that there were ‘those he was in contact with’, but he’d never specified whether they were human or Digimon. It wouldn’t hurt to press a little, especially since he gathered Gennai wanted him to do just that. Exactly why he didn’t know. But it wouldn’t hurt at all to find out. 

“Wizarmon?” He knew that voice and came to a rest on top of the nearest unbroken building as he turned to the speaker. 

“Yes?” He didn’t like addressing Vamdemon’s vampire servants by their names. It reminded him too much of the people they’d once been, especially since none of them had aged since the day of their turning. To see the face of someone who might once have been a friend and who was instead wholly committed to Vamdemon nursed a deep pain in the wizard. “Can I help you?” 

The one who’d once borne the Crest of Courage landed next to him, arms folded over his chest. “Have you seen any good prey in the area? I need to eat.” 

He didn’t want to be asked that. “I haven’t seen any humans in the area, I’m afraid. They seem to all be under cover tonight.” 

Yagami Taichi frowned, drumming the fingers of his right hand on his left arm. Wizarmon could still see the ghostly echoes of the boy who’d once led the Chosen in his eyes. He’d never met this one until after he was turned, but he’d heard descriptions, and he knew how the change could alter a person. That boy would hate what he’d become. Wizarmon was certain of it. “I’m _hungry_.” 

As if that would somehow conjure up someone for him to sink those fangs into. Wizarmon held himself back from saying that, though. He didn’t like this at all, but he did what he had to do in order to protect himself, as always. 

“As I said, I haven’t seen any, but I think you could find some over in the fourth area.” Humans used other names for the dividing of the city, once upon a time, but with Vamdemon’s arrival and the subsequent battles and raging Digimon attacks, the invaders took to calling districts by names of their own choosing. The fourth area had once been a vast entertainment district, or so Wizarmon guessed from the broken remains of buildings that littered the area. Humans did indeed live there, though few moved around this time of night. 

Taichi licked his lips. “I hope so. Master claimed the prize of the hunt tonight.” 

As if that was anything unusual. Vamdemon had several thousand years on his progeny. 

“Good hunting.” Wizarmon prepared to take off again, assuming the ‘interview’, such as it was, was at an end. Taichi shook his head, and Wizarmon brought himself back down. “Yes?” 

“There’s a hunter out there somewhere.” Taichi gestured toward the second area, which encompassed a huge park, or what had once been a park. Without the sun to keep it going, the plants were dying off. “He almost hit me. I think he had a crossbow.” 

Wizarmon blessed his years of experience in hiding his true emotions. Someone had actually _attacked_ Vamdemon’s most trusted vampire servant? The most famous of the Chosen vampires? Someone was actually _fighting back_? Every dream he’d thought dead only minutes earlier sprang up fresh and new in his heart. 

“Are you certain it wasn’t just an accident?” He did his best to look deeply concerned. After all, if someone were to attack a vampire, they might well try to attack him. They both flew around, and humans couldn’t see in the darkness as well as Digimon could. Mistakes could happen. 

“I doubt it. Not with a _crossbow_.” Taichi rolled his eyes. “I’m going to tell the Master about this when I get home, but I thought you should get a heads-up too.” 

“Of course, of course. I would have done the same thing.” How convenient it was that vampires couldn’t read minds. And that he’d learned to lie with a straight face years ago. 

Taichi nodded; like everyone else, he completely believed in Wizarmon’s loyalty to Vamdemon. He leaped up into the air, hovering for a few moments. “If you see anyone with a crossbow, make sure to take them alive. I could always use a fresh meal and I’m sure Master would have a few questions for them.” He flashed his fangs in something that might’ve been a smile, once up on a time, and soared away. 

Wizarmon fought back every scrap of reaction he wanted to have. He knew far too well how sensitive a vampire’s hearing could be, and he refused to let even the slightest sound of a sigh escape where the other stood a chance of hearing him. 

Yet that hope burned brighter within him, and he took off himself, circling around to the castle. For all intents and purposes he’d finished his patrol already and he looked forward to having a little down time. 

At least, after he talked to Gennai and found out what, if anything, the other knew about this sudden appearance of a human with a crossbow. 

* * *

Contacting Gennai wasn’t always an easy matter, especially since Wizarmon needed to make certain that no one found out he was doing so. He’d only been in touch with the old man for a couple of years, and he knew quite well both of them hadn’t told each other everything about what their plans and goals were. He didn’t fully trust Gennai and he didn’t expect Gennai to trust him. After all, he _was_ one of Vamdemon’s warriors, for all intents and purposes. 

That didn’t stop him from passing along what bits of information he could, and taking what Gennai could give to him. There wasn’t much that he could do with said information, but he tucked it all away in hopes that he could one of these days. 

_Perhaps now I can._ He let the hope burn bright, but he tried his best to keep it reasonable. For all he knew, Taichi would arrive back at the castle any moment with the crossbow user’s head and the whole concept of a resistance would collapse. 

He moved his hands quickly over the communicator’s controls, sending out the message to Gennai. He couldn’t be certain the other would respond right away; he had a lot of his own work to do that wasn’t just talking to Wizarmon. 

Today luck seemed to be with him, however, as after only a few minutes, the static on the screen resolved into Gennai’s ancient features. 

“Greetings, Wizarmon.” Gennai nodded slightly, his voice pitched low to avoid being overheard by anyone in the area. Wizarmon’s quarters were set a little away from everyone else’s in the castle, ostensibly because of his need to experiment with magic now and then. No one wanted to interrupt him and suddenly become a talking slime mold that had nothing to do with Raremon. 

Even though that had only happened once, and he’d managed to change PicoDevimon back. The little creature – not so little these days, really – hadn’t ever forgiven him for that. Wizarmon didn’t care; if he could, he would’ve done it all over again. 

“Gennai.” Wizarmon nodded back at him, keeping his own voice low. Despite people keeping away from his quarters, he still preferred not to take any chances. 

“How are matters on your side?” Gennai got right to the point, something Wizarmon approved of. 

“Very little has changed…except one thing, tonight.” Wizarmon told him in as few words as possible of what Taichi had told him of the crossbow wielder. “Is this anything that you know about?” 

Gennai didn’t answer right away, a thoughtful look to his eyes. “Perhaps. I would have to speak to others to be certain. But this could be a very good sign indeed.” 

Wizarmon made himself fight back the thrill that shot through him. As much as the hope lived, he wanted to keep it under control and not hope _too much_. He didn’t want it to shatter, or worse, fade away because nothing more happened. 

“What else can you tell me?” As always he chose his words carefully when he asked questions. Sometimes Gennai would answer more fully to some phrasings than to others. 

“That I’ve been in touch with people who have been working to build a resistance network on Earth that will work in tandem with the Digimon I’m organizing here.” Gennai met Wizarmon’s eyes directly. “They will need a great deal of help that can best come from someone inside Vamdemon’s fortress.” 

And there would likely be help needed from within Piemon’s as well, but Wizarmon knew better than to ask about _that_. On the off-chance that anyone uncovered him, the less that he could tell, the better. 

And he would tell, if he were caught. Vamdemon would take pleasure in making certain that he did. Which was why he went out of his way to make certain that he didn’t give himself away, no matter what he had to do in order to protect his secret. 

“What do you expect me to do?” 

“It will take some time, but I can set up a meeting between you and…one of the others. You can work out the details between you then. They’ll know better than I what you can do together.” 

For the life of him, Wizarmon couldn’t remember ever having met any actual human beings. He didn’t count the members of Vamdemon’s pack. The thought of doing so sent odd little chills all through him. He’d never felt as if he were missing someone or waiting for someone, but to actually _meet_ a human, and speak to them as an equal, not as a member of an invading army… 

He hoped he didn’t make too much of a fool of himself. 

“Very well.” Perhaps, he felt, he should think about this more, but he knew that his decision now would be the same as his decision in a week or a month. They _needed_ to fight against Vamdemon and his allies, and the delay in doing so had only let the vampire and the clown’s forces get so firmly entrenched that two worlds would never be the same again. 

Gennai nodded in approval. “I’ll make certain they know and contact you when we have a specific time and place.” 

Wizarmon suspected that might take longer than either side agreeing to meet in the first place. Finding a location where everyone could be assured that Vamdemon’s forces wouldn’t find them could take days, if not weeks. He would have to look up a few places and see what he could suggest. Though with any luck, the humans wouldn’t accept wherever he ended up having in mind. Without knowing him, they would be smart to be paranoid. 

Not that he wouldn’t give whatever locations _they_ suggested a few wary looks of his own, for exactly the same reasons. He had only Gennai’s word that these people were working against Vamdemon. 

Gennai wasted no more words, but closed off his end of the transmission. Wizarmon slid the device out of sight and crossed over to the small window cut into the wall. It was a sign of his rank that he had such an opening at all, or that it even existed in a vampire’s castle, even with the land enshrouded in darkness. 

He would have to keep himself occupied until he knew more about this meeting with this possible resistance. Perhaps he could visit…her. 

She looked nothing like she once had, and at times he wondered if she even remembered him properly. But it had been quite some time since he’d seen his best friend, and he didn’t want to lose track of her entirely. 

Besides, if this resistance could accomplish anything, he might end up needing her help as well. Assuming anything remained of his friend to want to help him. 

**To Be Continued**


	5. The Past

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 5: The Past  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,534||story: 13,404  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** I am currently undecided on if there will be any romance in this story at all. If there are, there is an equal chance they will be m/m, m/f, or f/f, and could range from human/human to human/Digimon to Digimon/Digimon. There have been canonical character deaths in the past of this story and I feel there will be more in the future, though since I'm kind of making this up as we go along, I can't be entirely certain. I'm not going to rule it out, though. Of course, with vampires in the mix, death isn't always the end.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

Gennai closed down the communications device and leaned back in his chair, considering the conversation he’d just had. Trusting Wizarmon wasn’t a mistake; he knew that down to his bones. The wizard Digimon was no more loyal to Vamdemon than Gennai himself was. But whether or not the humans of the resistance would see it that way was something else altogether. He couldn’t predict their reactions. None of them had any real reasons to trust Digimon at all, and he couldn’t blame them after the last decade. 

But this was something that needed doing. Trust needed to be built and bonds forged between humans and Digimon. He’d hoped that the Chosen would be the ones to do that, bringing them all together. That was what he’d imagined for the future. 

_And then Vamdemon screwed it all up._ Not that Piemon hadn’t had a hand in it, but it had all begun with Vamdemon. In one moment, without even realizing it, he’d broken a prophecy that he likely hadn’t even known existed, and set the course of two worlds skittering down the path to ultimate destruction. 

Well, now Gennai would have to come along and put everything back together the best that he could. At least he had people who could help him, on both sides of the gateway. 

Even if most of them weren’t ones that should’ve had a hand in this. As much as he didn’t like it, he had to work with what he’d been given. 

He rose to his feet, wincing at the pains in his shoulders and sides. His injuries had mostly healed already, but the scars pained him still. He wasn’t as young as he’d once been, and Piemon took great care to remind him of that fact whenever their paths crossed. 

Those crossed more often than he would’ve liked anyway. At least it enabled him to keep an eye on Takeru, Yamato, and Koushirou as they grew up, even if he couldn’t get them away from him. He’d tried. He’d lost count of how often he’d tried. Piemon remained three steps ahead of him from the beginning. 

Now wasn’t the time to reflect on that, though. He could handle them another time, when this monstrosity of a war had ended and Piemon _couldn’t_ remain three steps ahead of him because he wouldn’t be there anymore. 

He’d already contacted Osamu for the night, and if his judgment of the human cycles was correct, the young man would’ve already gone to bed. He would have to wait another day before letting him know what was going on. That was all to the good; he needed time to put all of this into a way that would encourage the resistance to accept what he offered anyway. 

Every step wearier than he wanted, Gennai moved from the communications room to the main room of his underground home. Despite his best efforts, Piemon still couldn’t find this place, and Gennai made certain of that by any number of ways. He didn’t have much, but if this place was ever discovered, it would put paid to the slow growing rebellion in two worlds. 

“Gennai?” He looked over to see Leomon there, having just entered from the training area side of the house. “You spoke with him?” 

“Yes.” Gennai nodded; Leomon knew most of his plans and had helped to forge almost all of them. He liked nothing at all about what had happened to those human children he called his friends, be it the ones Vamdemon mastered or the ones Piemon brought up in his own evil ways. 

Leomon nodded; they’d discussed for days the chances of getting Wizarmon to work with the humans’ resistance movement. “Do you think any of them could be suitable?” 

“I don’t know.” Gennai glanced toward his research room; he’d spent most of his spare hours trying to find a way to bond humans and Digimon together in different ways from what he’d done before. “I don’t even want to ask them about it.” Not yet, anyway. There were too many ways that it could all go wrong. Let them get to know each other first. Let the bond grow, let _friendship_ grow between them, and then work on something more. 

“I saw Takeru while I was out.” Leomon’s deep blue eyes darkened as he spoke. “He was circling around the Village of Beginnings.” 

Gennai’s head snapped up at that. “Did you inform Elecmon?” The last thing they needed right now was an attack on the village. Keeping those eggs safe lived at the top of their to-do list, with the only item over it being ‘find a way to defeat Piemon and Vamdemon’. 

“He knows.” Leomon nodded, moving closer. “I sent Ogremon and Kentauromon to patrol the area.” His lips twitched at the naming of his old enemy. The two of them hadn’t had a chance to do much more than spar on occasion, not with the world being in the state that it was. Gennai had heard Ogremon mention more than once that he wanted them to defeat Piemon and Vamdemon just so he and Leomon could fight the way they had once upon a time. 

Well, everyone did have their own reasons to join in this war. At least this time they could depend on Ogremon to help them. 

“Good. Was there any sign of anyone else with Takeru?” Gennai’s shoulders tensed at the question. 

Leomon shook his head. “I couldn’t see anyone. I think he was alone.” Not that being alone would’ve made it easy, or even possible, for Leomon to take him down and bring him in. Not after ten years of Piemon’s training. 

“Could you track him back?” For all of his own efforts, Gennai found himself as unable to worm a spy into Piemon’s headquarters as Piemon was to find Gennai’s own base. Enough good Digimon had died trying to do so that he refused to ask anyone else to do the same. 

“I tried, but I think he saw me.” Leomon’s whiskers twitched a fraction. He didn’t like the idea of either losing his edge or one of Piemon’s slaves being just that good. Gennai foresaw multiple extra hours being spent in the training room for that. 

Gennai moved on toward the kitchen area, Leomon padding beside him. He wanted a cup of tea. He hadn’t had a cup of tea all day and tea helped him focus and think. 

“They need a place to meet Wizarmon.” He didn’t expect any kind of answer from Leomon; voicing his thoughts helped him to work through them. “And I haven’t been able to get any maps of the area in years.” 

“Send someone through the portal?” Leomon suggested. “They wouldn’t need to stay long.” 

Gennai considered that. It wasn’t the worst idea that he’d ever heard. The problem was, as always, getting someone else to the portal in such a way that the guards wouldn’t notice them. So far the few times he’d been able to send someone over, they hadn’t been seen, but he knew better than to press his luck too far. 

“Perhaps one of the Numemon would go.” After all these years, they still adored Mimi, and every one of them longed for some way to help her. If he suggested this would do that, he would have a dozen volunteers before he could blink an eye. 

He would prefer someone who could fly, though, in order to cover more ground efficiently. But there weren’t many fliers who were also small enough to sneak through without alerting the gate guardians. 

At least the Numemon were persistent, and loyal. They wanted their cute Mimi back, and hell itself wouldn’t stop them from trying. 

“I’ll go ask one.” Gennai decided. After he had his tea, of course. 

* * *

Takeru strode through the palace gateways without so much as looking at the guards. They knew who he was. As one of Piemon’s most loyal servants, he could come and go as he pleased, so long as Piemon knew what he had in mind. 

And there came his master now. Takeru bent his head reverently. “I’ve just come from the Village of Beginnings, my lord.” 

Piemon threaded his hands through Takeru’s hair in welcome. “What did you find out there?” 

“They’re still watching out for us.” He reported all that he’d seen; the traps Elecmon had set up to warn him of any physical approaches, the wards that he suspected Gennai had woven to keep them at bay magically, and what he’d spied on his way out: the two new guards wandering the area. 

“Good work.” Piemon praised, and Takeru’s heart beat faster at the seldom given words. “You should go rest. You’ve had a day of work.” 

That was true, though Takeru wasn’t inclined to admit it. He’d spent most of the day traveling; unlike some of Piemon’s servants, he wasn’t gifted with the ability to fly. It would make life so much easier if he could. Perhaps Patamon would be able to help with that, sooner or later. They could only hope. 

“As you wish, my lord.” Takeru decided he would eat later, once he didn’t feel so much like dropping into bed and not moving for a few hours. 

Piemon nodded and headed off on his own business, perhaps to consult with the other Dark Masters. Takeru knew what wasn’t his affair and headed through the twisting corridors until he found his own quarters. 

He wasn’t surprised to find Yamato waiting for him when he entered and wrapped his arms around his brother gratefully. “Is everything all right?” 

“Yes.” Yamato’s mask was set to the side, something he usually only did when it was just the two of them. Takeru made a point of not mentioning it; he knew how Yamato hated being without it. If they weren’t brothers, he wouldn’t put it down even for Takeru. He certainly didn’t for Koushirou, on those few occasions when the three of them crossed paths. 

Takeru tilted his head back to look at the older man. “What happened?” He knew all of Yamato’s tones, even now, and something really _was_ wrong. 

Yamato said nothing right away. When he did speak, he shook his head a tiny fraction first, then uttered one name. “Enshoumon.” 

“She came out on top?” Takeru knew of the battles that Piemon had planned out before he’d left. He trusted Enshoumon’s loyalty as much as he trusted his own, his brother’s, and Koushirou’s, but Yamato had never clicked to her. 

The taller blond nodded and Takeru squeezed his hand. “Don’t worry about it. You know that Master trusts us more than anyone.” He paused, considering that. “Well, anyone who isn’t MetalSeaDramon, MugenDramon, Pinnochimon, or Black Rosemon.” In fact, he was reasonably certain that Piemon trusted them more than he did Pinnochimon. It wasn’t a question that one asked, though. Inquiring into someone else’s loyalties could bring your own under suspicion on this castle. 

Yamato sighed, and shrugged, reaching for his mask as he stood up. Takeru didn’t try to stop him. Yamato’s visits were never long, no matter what. He kept himself busy constantly, and with someone new rising in the hierarchy, he would do so more than ever. 

Before he left, Yamato set a hand on Takeru’s shoulder, squeezing it gently. Takeru smiled back at him, trying not to yawn in his big brother’s face. He thought Yamato could see how tired he was, which was yet another reason he didn’t stay long. That was confirmed by a flip of Yamato’s hand toward the bedroom, a clear sign of ‘get some rest, you idiot’. Yamato didn’t talk much anymore, but he certainly got his point across when he wanted to. 

* * *

Yamato closed the door behind him and headed down to his private training area. He’d worked himself to exhaustion once already today and stolen an hour’s worth of sleep before he remembered when Takeru was likely to return from his scouting mission. There was no way that he wouldn’t spend at least a few minutes making certain everything was all right with his little brother. The habits of years were hard to break, especially when he didn’t really want to break them. 

He passed a couple of guards on the way, and could not help a mental smile at how they flinched back from him. He didn’t even need to do anything for them to do it. Just his presence sent chills down their spines. A thousand stories were whispered about why he wore his strange mask, covering his entire face and throat, and why he spoke only in the briefest of sentences, and never used two words when one would do the job. 

None of them were true, of course, and he wasn’t going to let on what had happened. It wasn’t anyone’s concern but his and his master’s. 

The door to the training area closed behind him and he strode out in the center of the room. He knew this place better than he’d ever known any other in his entire life. He’d spent the majority of his last decade here, sometimes sparring against Piemon, sometimes against some of the warrior Digimon who composed the army. 

He pulled his sword from the sheath on his back and spun out into one of the first forms his master taught him. He’d only been allowed a wooden practice blade in those long ago days; now he trained with live steel. Some might claim it too dangerous, but Yamato knew other dangers that were far worse: such as displeasing Piemon. 

Soon he would have to go out on a mission of his own. He didn’t know what it would be yet, but it would have to be something that would make it clear he was still an effective warrior for Piemon. He knew Enshoumon wasn’t as power hungry and greedy as some of the other Digimon were, but he still refused to take any chances. He’d made it to this position by not letting anyone else take it from him and there was no reason to stop now. 

He recalled what Piemon and Vamdemon had discussed during the vampire’s visit earlier. It was true that Gennai’s home hadn’t been found, but perhaps he could change that. If nothing else, searching around might make the old man nervous enough to move it, which would give them a chance to find him then. It was something to keep in mind. 

That would be his mission, then. He would have to clear it with his master first, and let Gabumon know it was time to go out again, but that wouldn’t take long. 

He bared his teeth as he transitioned into a more complex sword form, imagining the blade slicing through Gennai. The level of hatred he held toward the old man knew no bounds. This was all his fault. 

_Why weren’t you there? Why didn’t you help us? Why didn’t you help **her**? And **him**?_

The day would come when he would hold Gennai at swordpoint and demand his answers in one way or another. And if he didn’t get them, then there would be one less annoying person in the Digital World. 

**To Be Continued**


	6. The Evidence

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 6: The Evidence  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,584||story: 15,988  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** I am currently undecided on if there will be any romance in this story at all. If there are, there is an equal chance they will be m/m, m/f, or f/f, and could range from human/human to human/Digimon to Digimon/Digimon. There have been canonical character deaths in the past of this story and I feel there will be more in the future, though since I'm kind of making this up as we go along, I can't be entirely certain. I'm not going to rule it out, though. Of course, with vampires in the mix, death isn't always the end.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

Taichi dropped down to the broken sidewalk and dug his hands into his pockets, hunching his shoulders over, and started to walk along, his pace a little slower than he liked. He kind of wished he’d known he’d come to this area when he’d first set out; he would’ve worn something more appropriate. As it was, the shadows hung deep enough that no one could really tell what he had on, or what he looked like. 

Which was just as well, since his face _was_ noticeable, and right now, he didn’t want it to be. 

All he had to do now was wait. He didn’t want to wait very long; he wasn’t very good at it. But even around here, it shouldn’t take all that long. 

He’d barely gone down the length of the sidewalk before a gust of wind brought both a sharp scent to his nose and the faintest hint of feet crunching on broken glass and dying leaves to his ears. 

“Hey, kid.” The voice, gruff yet tinged with worry, floated out of the deep shadows of the alleyway just as he took his first steps closer to it. “This is a bad neighborhood to wander around in on your own.” 

Taichi held back a grin and ducked his head a little farther down. “Don’t have anywhere else to go.” A complete lie, but he doubted the other would care. Especially not after he finished with him. 

He could see the other as he took another couple of steps closer. The stranger wasn’t much to look at, but Taichi wasn’t interested in his fashion choices, awful as they were. He supposed humans had to make do with what they could find these days, since the ‘wild’ ones –the ones who liked to call themselves ‘free’- couldn’t get hold of whatever they needed to make new clothes. Some of them probably stole what they needed from Vamdemon-sama’s supplies, but this one wasn’t one of those. Not with tattered jeans that hung to just above his ankles and three sweaters that still were more hole than cloth wrapped around him. His boots looked as if they would be best honorably retired before they actually fell off his feet. 

Taichi, on the other hand, strolled around in a well-made pair of black jeans and a gold-trimmed shirt of the same hue. Vamdemon preferred his flock to dress in black, or at least dark colors, the better to blend in with the shadows of the world. Taichi never argued with his master. Overall, he looked fairly healthy and prosperous, a rarity in and of itself in this new world, and one that should’ve given away his true status. 

Some people just couldn’t think clearly. All the better for him. 

“Nowhere else to go?” The stranger inched out a little, eyes narrowing as he took in Taichi’s appearance. “You sure about that?” 

He was in range now. The human probably didn’t think he was, which made it all the better. “Well, maybe I do.” He caught a whiff of metal from the other’s direction and held back a smirk. Was it a knife? He hoped it was a knife. It was always so much fun when the prey thought it could fight back. 

Taichi shuffled a little closer, apparently keeping his attention more on the ground than on the stranger he was talking to. He wanted to give the impression of a child who scarcely knew what was going on in the world, perhaps someone sheltered and pampered. The more this fool misjudged him, the more fun he would have shortly. 

“I’ve got a place you can go.” The human moved fast. At least, he probably thought he did. Taichi suspected there were several Numemon who could probably outrun him if they needed to. As it was, he himself dodged fluidly out of the way and ended up behind the other, grabbing one wrist and finding himself pleased to see a knife in the attached hand. 

“Never mind. I won’t need it after all.” He gripped the human’s wrist harder, hearing the crunch of bones. “I hope I don’t get any stupider after drinking your blood.” Really, thinking that a well-dressed child was anything other than one of the vampire flock? What kind of sheltered fools did this one know? 

Whatever kind those were, he would prey on them no more. There would always be idiots who tried to prey on others and Taichi was perfectly happy to make them his prey as well. Or to make their prey his. He wasn’t always particular which. 

A tiny part of him preferred the predators, those who wanted to harm others. He told himself it was because those were the ones who offered the best chase and the most fulfillment in the end. There wasn’t any other reason. There _couldn’t_ be any other reason. 

He paid no more attention to how the prey struggled and gasped in his grip, only bending the other’s head to one side. He almost wished at times that Vamdemon-sama had waited until they were older and taller to turn them. Their strength and speed outclassed any human’s with ease, but it would be so much easier if he had another foot of height to work with. 

He made do, though. He had plenty of ways to deal with it. 

With one quick kick he broke both of his prey’s legs, forcing them down to their knees, as well as pulling out some truly horrific screams. Taichi got a better grip on the man’s head and struck, burying his fangs into a neck that could’ve seen a few more washings. 

At least his blood still tasted clean. Even in this day and age, there were humans who filled themselves up with alcohol or drugs whenever they could. Perhaps there were even more of them now, seeing an escape from Vamdemon’s rule in such things. The vampires had to be careful who they drank from whenever a nest of those types were found. 

This wasn’t the case now, though. He drank deeply, thoroughly enjoying every drop as his captive’s struggles first grew more intense, hands beating a small tattoo on the sidewalk for a few moments before the strength slowly faded and he slumped down against Taichi, unable to move. 

This was the part Taichi liked best, when there was still blood pumping through the veins, and no more fight left in his food. He groaned in pleasure at the delicious liquid coursing down his throat and fed full. 

Only when there wasn’t anything left in the human did Taichi finally stand up and brush himself off. He would have to have his clothes washed when he returned home, but these were his hunting clothes, and he had plenty more outfits waiting for him. Vamdemon kept his flock well-provided with everything they would need and many things they didn’t need but wanted. Taichi could no longer imagine what his life might’ve been like if the master hadn’t entered it. 

Sometimes he dreamed about it, though. The images were faint and fuzzy, and based more off of his human memories than anything else. He paid little attention to them, considering them the closest thing to a nightmare that he could ever imagine having anymore. 

Once he’d cleaned himself up as best he could, he took back off into the air, well-fed and satisfied. He still kept his attention alert for any further signs of that crossbow wielder, but now he decided if he ran across whoever it was, he would bring them to Vamdemon-sama instead of shredding them himself. There was no need to waste good blood, and they might have important information. 

He did hope that they tried to go after him instead of one of the flying Digimon such as Wizarmon. It was right to warn one’s allies, but Wizarmon might turn the stranger into something useless. Perhaps another turn around the city wouldn’t hurt before returning home. 

* * *

Sora rested her hand on the small egg, her eyes closed, taking deep and unnecessary breaths. The dead didn’t need to breathe, after all. Or undead, in her case, but she wasn’t one to be very picky about terminology. She breathed because she chose to, not because she needed it. 

She knew the egg would never hatch again. None of these here would. They couldn’t; their partners were all dead, after all. 

Again, dead. Undead. The word didn’t matter. They weren’t human anymore and that made all the difference. 

Still, the eggs rested. Perhaps they were waiting for new partners. Sora’s eyes glinted darkly at the very thought of someone else laying their hands on Piyomon’s egg. No matter how far she’d fallen, she would never, ever let someone else touch her partner. Piyomon could stay an egg forever rather than go to someone else. 

Perhaps when they managed to capture Gennai, she would be able to find a way for Piyomon to hatch again, and become someone more suited to her as a partner. She’d heard that the partners of those who Piemon took care of had changed their evolutions, and it had to do with their changed priorities. 

Of course, for that, they would have to capture Gennai, and everything she’d heard from the spies on both sides of the gateway told her that wouldn’t happen any time soon. She hated that very thought; how could they not find him? How did he remain hidden after all these years? What could he be doing to keep all of Piemon’s people from finding him? 

Leaving the small closet where the eggs remained, and making certain to lock it behind her, she paced her way to her own office, where the reports from the spies rested, waiting for her to look through them. If anything gave them a bit of information that could be of any use, she would find it. She’d done it before, putting together the scattered bits of what they knew in order to find what they needed. Or who they needed. Or wanted. 

The screams of her mother echoed in the back of her mind, but Sora knew better than to think about them. They were nothing more than vague memories anyway. Seven years was more than long enough to get over something like that. 

She read through the reports, none of which offered any of the information that she wanted it to. Koushirou handled much of this on his side of the gate, checking over what Piemon’s spies gave to them. She headed Vamdemon’s network, a vast array of humans and Digimon who kept their eyes and ears open for every form of information, in exchange for food or medical care or whatever else Vamdemon deemed a worthy price. 

She did stare at one particular document, eyes narrowed in thought. Something wasn’t right here, but she couldn’t put her finger on just what it was. Something about the movement of supplies in certain areas. What would people in the city need with fertilizers? Especially ones of this strength? 

_That’s usually reserved for the farmers._ The lack of sun meant that those crops that still grew needed to be tended carefully, usually with large lamps that imitated sunlight. The vampires stayed away from there, but that didn’t mean they weren’t watched over. Several of Vamdemon-sama’s most loyal warriors lived on those farms and made certain the farmers didn’t get ideas. They grew that food for the humans who lived under Vamdemon’s reign and that was their sole purpose in living. 

Or that was how it was supposed to be. Those wild humans who still lived in various areas, insisting they wouldn’t ever submit to an alien invasion, stole crops on occasion. They knew not to destroy the farms; they didn’t have anywhere they could grow anything for themselves and if they wrecked everything, there wouldn’t be any food at all. 

At least, that was how it had been for years. If these people were now trying to grow their own…she couldn’t yet piece together what it might mean, not without information she didn’t have yet. 

_They would be less dependent on us, for one thing._ She considered what that could mean. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing; it would mean their own supplies wouldn’t be raided as often. But why would the wild humans try this now, after all this time? 

She pulled her thoughts together carefully. She couldn’t be entirely certain if those humans were the ones who were trying to get the fertilizer or not. She would have to check into this more personally. It could just be an error in transport somewhere. It wouldn’t be the first time this had happened, and if that was what it was, she doubted it would be the last. 

Nevertheless, she _would_ check into it and bring it to Vamdemon-sama’s attention. It would be up to him what to do about the situation. 

She took another look to see just where this was centered at and again her lips turned downward. _Well. A coincidence?_ It could be. But she would keep a very close eye on what was going on there in Odaiba. 

One always did want to watch over one’s hometown, after all. 

* * *

Vamdemon didn’t spend quite as much time with Piemon as he might’ve wanted to. There were many ways they could spend their time together, but they did have to tend to business before they could turn to pleasure, and tonight pleasure had no time at all. 

He’d make up for it another day. For now, once the two of them spent a few hours searching futilely for Gennai, he crossed back over the gateway to return to his castle. He needed to alert his spies and have them keep a watch on anyone who might attempt to send a message of any kind through there. Whatever Gennai was up to, it wouldn’t be allowed to succeed. 

That meant a stopover to speak with Sora. Before he could open her door, she did it herself, blinking up at him a moment before she bowed her head respectfully. “Vamdemon-sama. I was just about to come looking for you.” 

He raised one eyebrow. “Is something the matter?” If any renegades, human or Digimon, turned up, she would be the one most likely to find out about it first. 

Going over everything she pointed out to him and what he knew about what Piemon told him and what little they’d picked up during the course of their travels through the Digital World didn’t give as much information as they would’ve wanted it to. Vamdemon knew the wild humans were likely to steal things from him merely to make certain he didn’t have it for his own use, or those who served him. They didn’t necessarily have to be trying to create their own farms. 

Matters took a somewhat different turn, however, when Taichi strolled into the room, bending his head quickly toward his master. “I found out something _really_ interesting tonight,” his favorite scion declared, lounging against the wall. “We should probably get Mimi and Jou in on this, too.” 

Something that concerned all of his flock? Vamdemon’s awareness peaked at once, and he sent out a mental call for the last of his Children. He hadn’t been this curious, or this interested in something, since the day the last of the Chosen fell to his and Piemon’s efforts. He could only hope that whatever this was, it was at least that interesting. 

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** To clarify: Taichi, Jou, Sora, and Mimi were all turned during the time of Digimon Adventure, so they are physically ten to twelve (Jou was twelve, Mimi was ten, Taichi  & Sora were eleven). So, they are physically exactly the same as they were then. They've mentally grown up to some extent, so much as you can when Vamdemon controls you and you're an undead blood-drinking vampire. Yamato, Takeru, and Koushirou were taken in by Piemon and have continued to age and mature at a normal human rate, so they are twenty-one, eighteen, and twenty, respectively. Hikari has lived ten years imprisoned by Vamdemon and while her body has grown (somewhat), she's got a lot of isolation issues. Among others that will become more apparent in time.


	7. The Memories

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 7: The Memories  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,778||story: 18,766  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** I am currently undecided on if there will be any romance in this story at all. If there are, there is an equal chance they will be m/m, m/f, or f/f, and could range from human/human to human/Digimon to Digimon/Digimon. There have been canonical character deaths in the past of this story and I feel there will be more in the future, though since I'm kind of making this up as we go along, I can't be entirely certain. I'm not going to rule it out, though. Of course, with vampires in the mix, death isn't always the end.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

Dozens of voices rose in a cacophony of protest, agreement, rage, and fascination, none of them able to be discerned from the other. Osamu rubbed one hand over his face, trying to keep his headache down and not having much success in doing so.

“Be _quiet_!” Ken finally snapped, his violet eyes blazing with unaccustomed fire. Osamu couldn’t help the flinch; his brother stood right next to him and he had the full force of Ken’s shout. Ken very seldom raised his voice at all, and dead silence fell now when he did.

He also didn’t wait for anyone else to say anything. “Osamu told us what his contact wants: we’re going to make contact with a Digimon who is on _our_ side, not theirs. We are supposed to trust this Digimon and work with him to accomplish our goal of destroying Vamdemon and taking back our world.” He looked all around at the gathered rebels; Osamu wondered if it had been such a good idea to let them all know about this.

 _Too late to change it now._ This did put them at risk; he thought there weren’t any traitors in their midst, but one could never be too careful. He couldn’t think of too many actions they could take that didn’t put them at risk for traitors, with the way Vamdemon and his vampires could control minds. They just had to do the best they could.

He returned his attention to the meeting in time to see Ken’s arms folded over his chest. “When we go to meet this Digimon, there will only be a small, select group. He won’t come here. He won’t even be told where this place is.” There wasn’t any room for argument in his tone, and Osamu held back a soft smile at his brother’s determination.

“So who gets to go?” Someone, Osamu couldn’t place their name right away, called out from the depths of the crowd.

He wasn’t surprised when Ken had an answer right away. “I will. So will Osamu, Miyako, Daisuke, Iori, and Jun.” His attention turned to two of the older people there. “Shuu, Shin, would you keep an eye on matters here while we’re doing this?”

“Of course.” Kido Shuu nodded, as did his older brother. Osamu wasn’t surprised at the selection, either. The six of them worked together more than many other groups did, and there were some who wondered if they could read one another’s minds, especially where Ken and Daisuke were concerned. Osamu doubted that; they just happened to get along very well.

“So, where exactly are we going to meet him at?” Iori asked, a hint of concern in his serious green eyes. Osamu at times wondered about this child; at sixteen he was one of the youngest in the entire resistance, and yet he’d seen the boy on the practice field. If he struck a Digimon full on with blade or kendo stick, then that Digimon would feel it. He couldn’t be sure if it would be enough to actually destroy the creature, as none of them had yet managed to do so, but he hoped they would find out soon enough. This resistance was still in the beginning stages.

Ken looked through some of the information in front of him. “There are three places that are being considered. One of them is the old elementary school in Odaiba.”

“That’s not very safe. There isn’t much left of it and it could fall apart if someone gave a good sneeze,” Miyako pointed out, checking her own notes.

Ken nodded, flipping through pages. “What about the gardens? So far as we know, Vamdemon’s forces don’t even know where those are.”

Osamu held back a hint of a smirk there; he’d been busy diverting fertilizer and seeds from Vamdemon’s enslaved farmers to make certain they could create farms of their own so they no longer had to depend on stealing food from their enemies. There were too many chances their thefts could be found out and they could either be tracked or poisoned. Being self-sufficient gave them a better chance to do something.

“Then he wouldn’t know how to get there,” Iori reminded them. “And it wouldn’t be smart to let him know.”

Every reason to keep away from Digimon altogether surged back into everyone’s head at that. Finding one of them who could be trusted was all but impossible. Rumor had it that there _had_ been some, those partnered to the Chosen Children, but no one had seen them for years. No one even knew if it were actually true or not.

Ken thumbed through the information again and stopped one more time. “What about the old Fuji TV building? It’s kind of battered, but it’s not ready to fall down just yet and there are plenty of places that we could hide if we needed to.” Which also meant there were places for Digimon to hide if _they_ needed to, but they would still have a better chance of getting out of there safely.

Soft murmurs of consideration and thought whispered among those who had the most interest in where they were going. Finally Jun said it. “I think that’s got the best chance.”

“Sounds like a good idea to me.” Daisuke agreed with his sister, and Osamu added his own nod of approval.

Once everyone threw in agreement, Ken rose to his feet. “Osamu, let your contact know what we’ve decided on, and if it’s agreeable to this Digimon. Then we can start pinning down _when_ to do this.”

* * *

Daisuke carefully set out each of his new bolts, checking over the sharpness of the heads. He wanted to go out again tonight and try his best to find one of Vamdemon’s slaves. _Any_ chance of killing one of the enemy needed to be taken in his opinion.

“Think you’re going somewhere?” Ken’s voice rang from the door. Daisuke didn’t look up but picked up another bolt and examined the edge.

“I know I am. It’s been three days already.” He’d been stuck inside all of those three days, on the excuse that his scent could’ve lingered in the area and a vampire could track him from that alone. “It rained last night. _Huge_ thunderstorm. No scent left.”

“I know.” Ken didn’t move from where he stood, and Daisuke could feel those violet eyes scorching into his back. “You’re still not going.”

“Why not?” Daisuke’s voice grated with inactivity and annoyance. Shooting bolts at stuffed targets didn’t do anything for him at all. “What’s wrong with going out and trying to do something?”

Ken stepped into the room and set one hand on Daisuke’s tense shoulder. “Because you’re not just trying to do something.”

Daisuke ground his teeth before he turned to look at his friend. He wanted to shout. He wanted to scream. He wanted to say anything to deny him, but the way Ken’s finger traced across two long healed puncture wounds on his throat stopped the words in their tracks.

“You still want to find Vamdemon. Not one of his pack. You want him.”

Memories Daisuke fought to keep at bay flickered and whispered through the back of his mind, of a day years before…

_It was a pen, nothing more, nothing less. Ghost-like creatures carrying scythes floated all around, keeping their attention on the people held there. Daisuke tried to avoid being seen, which wasn’t that easy, since everyone was trying to do the same thing._

_Movement, from somewhere outside of the pen. Daisuke tensed, nails digging into his palms, as the guards (he didn’t know what they were called and he didn’t care, they were **scary** , that was what he knew and cared about) shifted closer. One of them was close enough to where Daisuke curled up for the ten year old to hear it speak._

_“How can we serve you, master?”_

_Daisuke stifled a squeak. That word could only mean one being was there. He hadn’t heard Vamdemon’s voice very often, but he recognized it anyway._

_“I’m too busy to hunt tonight. Bring me someone. Preferably someone who can put up a little bit of a fight.” That voice sent chills all through Daisuke and he swallowed harshly. He hoped they would find someone else…someone who wasn’t him. Anyone who wasn’t him. There were so many people here who weren’t him…_

_Arms enfolded him from above and he started kicking and squirming right away. “Will he be suitable, Vamdemon-sama?” The Digimon who held him asked, keeping a tight grip on him. Even as he asked, Daisuke found himself carried over the heads of the others, and he could see relief in their eyes, that **he** was the one who was chosen, and not them._

_Anything he might’ve thought about that vanished out of his mind a moment later as he was dropped in front of the vampire overlord. A firm hand gripped his hair and yanked his head back, revealing a pair of blue eyes staring thoughtfully at him._

_“I think he’ll do.” Vamdemon declared, scooping Daisuke into his arms. As much as Daisuke tried, he couldn’t break that grip. He wasn’t sure if he could have even if he’d not been ten years old and not very well fed for the last two of those years._

_What he did know was that Vamdemon carried him away as if he were nothing more than a package he’d picked up from somewhere, paying no attention to Daisuke’s screams and struggles and insistence on being put down._

Daisuke drew in a sharp breath and pulled away from Ken, staring back down at the bolts in front of him. Taking out Yagami Taichi would indeed be a coup for the resistance, and a great first strike, but taking out Vamdemon himself…that was something more personal. That was something he’d dreamed of since the moment Vamdemon’s Phantomon carried him over to the vampire, and dedicated himself to from the moment he’d felt Vamdemon’s fangs biting into him.

“I’m going out.” Daisuke wasn’t going to give ground on this one. Even if he never actually saw a vampire, he just needed to get out of there. Being outside reminded him that he didn’t live in a pen anymore, or worse, in that small, far too lushly decorated room next to Vamdemon’s. “I’ll be back before midnight.”

Whatever else Ken might’ve wanted to say, he didn’t. The two of them understood each other, even when they disagreed. Ken had his own demons haunting him, ones that didn’t need outward scars to remind him of them. Just looking at Osamu could make it happen. Daisuke himself wasn’t entirely certain of why, but it did happen, and maybe one day when all of this ended, Ken would trust him enough to tell him.

Daisuke slipped the rest of his bolts into the carrying case and fastened it into the holder on his back. Ken still said nothing, simply standing there next to him.

“Be careful.” That was all he said when he finally broke the silence. “Remember what I’ve told you.”

Daisuke rolled his eyes. “Just take one shot, and make certain it’s the only one that you need. I know, Ken, I know.”

Ken’s fingers brushed ever so lightly against Daisuke’s cheek, and the redhead turned to look at him. A familiar silence fell between them, one that stretched onward until it reached an awkward state that Daisuke couldn’t stand.

“See you when I get back.” He snatched up the goggles, wormed his way around Ken and headed down the hall, telling himself that the way his heart beat so much faster was because of how he anticipated finding one of the vampires, not because of the way Ken stared at him.

* * *

Ken followed Daisuke with his eyes until the other was out of sight completely. He resisted the urge to follow him on the security monitors after that, choosing instead to head to the training area. With this upcoming meeting between the resistance and the Digimon their contact wanted them to know, he needed to be in top shape.

So did all of the others, which was why he hadn’t argued very strongly about Daisuke going out. He knew full well how much Daisuke needed fresh air and freedom around himself, and now that he had the crossbow and the night-vision goggles, he was that much safer going out.

That didn’t mean Ken didn’t _worry_ about him, perhaps just a little more so than everyone else when their missions took them outside of their hidden headquarters.

No one knew exactly how long Daisuke had spent as Vamdemon’s personal blood supplier, not even Daisuke. Time didn’t mean a whole lot when you spent all of it locked up in a small room. Ken knew that Daisuke had been provided with books of every kind and subject, but no freedom to go outside, unescorted, the way that he really wanted to. Vamdemon wanted him in the peak of condition, so he’d walked him. On a leash.

Ken would never forget seeing _that_ for the first time, nor the surge of rage through his veins. Before, all of his anger at the monster that destroyed their world had been cold, icy, calculated. Seeing Vamdemon walking Daisuke inflamed his blood as nothing ever had. That wasn’t right. It could never be right.

_He and Osamu liked to sneak out and explore whenever they could. It was dangerous and they both knew it, but after they’d come so close to losing each other years earlier, they wanted to spend as much time together as they could. If that meant risking their lives, then so be it. At least they would go together, if it happened._

_Now, creeping through the shattered city, underneath the gray mantle of clouds that never lifted, they looked for anyone who was human and who hadn’t bent their knee to the monsters that invaded their world._

_There were far more of those than Ken liked, but there wasn’t anything he knew that he could do. Finding the ones who hadn’t mattered more. Deep in his soul he dreamed of founding a group that could fight back and end all of this. He didn’t know how, he didn’t know when, but the idea of doing so burned bright._

_Osamu’s hand closed on his wrist and Ken froze where he was, all fantasies vanishing as he refocused on what was going on in front of him. They stood in the shadow of a building and Osamu’s urgings pulled them back just a little more. Ken frowned, before he caught sight of movement ahead of them._

_It was him. Vamdemon. The twisted monster himself, and he had…he had a **human** with him? A boy who looked around Ken’s own age, but smaller, less well-fed. He wore dark clothes of a better make than Ken remembered seeing in a couple of years, and around his neck…_

_Around his neck was a collar, with a leash going from it to Vamdemon’s hand._

_Ken forgot everything he’d ever known about cool, quiet logic. A human on a leash, being walked like a pet. He didn’t even know he’d started out until Osamu’s hand tightened on his wrist and he stopped._

_“That’s wrong. We have to get him away from there.” Ken whispered the words into his brother’s ear and Osamu nodded, understanding in the motion._

_“We can’t right now. Vamdemon is too strong for us. But we’ll do it.”_

_Ken believed in his big brother, no matter what. He looked back at the boy being walked, and whispered under his breath. “We’ll come get you.”_

* * *

Ken prepared himself for a sparring session; Iori stood not that far away, as calm and collected as he himself was, and ready to do battle. Ken pushed all thoughts of the past out of his mind; he had to focus on the now, for multiple reasons. They’d saved Daisuke, though he’d certainly put in enough of his own efforts to saving himself. Now they were making the first real steps towards defeating Vamdemon. It would be done.

“Do you trust this contact of your brother’s?” Iori asked as their sparring sticks clashed against one another.

“I’m going to have to, for this to work out.” Ken reminded him. They would all have to. What other course did they have? Getting spies into Vamdemon’s castle would be hard enough on their own. Adding in what they would have to do to get some into Piemon’s, if they could even find a way to cross the gateway, would be worse. Sooner or later, they would _have_ to trust Digimon. It had to start somewhere.

**To Be Continued**

**Note:** I'm still not certain if Ken  & Daisuke will end up a pairing, but I won't rule it out, either. Also, Fuji TV is where Wizarmon died in the actual anime.


	8. The Questions

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 8: The Questions  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,667||story: 21,433  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** I am currently undecided on if there will be any romance in this story at all. If there are, there is an equal chance they will be m/m, m/f, or f/f, and could range from human/human to human/Digimon to Digimon/Digimon. There have been canonical character deaths in the past of this story and I feel there will be more in the future, though since I'm kind of making this up as we go along, I can't be entirely certain. I'm not going to rule it out, though. Of course, with vampires in the mix, death isn't always the end.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

She couldn’t be bored. Being bored required having interests in the first place, and after all this time, hers had faded away. She remembered complaining about being bored when she was younger, and being given bright colors to play with. She missed those days, just a little. 

She stared up into the murky rafters overhead and wondered what was going on in the world outside. What was it like now? Were any of her friends still around? She couldn’t remember their faces, but she hoped they had it better than she did. 

It was sometime in between lunch and dinner. She knew that much of what time it was no more. That didn’t mean it was afternoon, since she had no real way to judge what a clock would’ve said. But it was all she had to look forward to. 

She tilted her head a fraction to see LadyDevimon seated outside of the bars. As happened now and then, the dark Digimon held a look of sorrow turned toward her. It wasn’t one marked by tears or even a frown, but she knew the other didn’t like her being here. Or liked being here herself. 

She had no idea of how she knew that. But she’d always been able to read the other’s emotions, just as she had those of the cute cat who’d been here before. Maybe it came from only having them to interact with for so long? 

Slowly she shifted herself so their eyes met a little more openly. She swallowed once or twice, trying to force her lips and throat to work the way that she should. Talking was so _hard_ now. She had to fight to remember how to do it. 

“You…look sad.” Her heart, shriveled and weak from long years of disuse, still reached out to someone who needed her. 

LadyDevimon didn’t flinch, but the sorrow vanished from her features at once. Not from her, though. The prisoner knew that just as well. “What would you know of that?” There was distance in her tone. She didn’t want anyone knowing how she felt. That wasn’t surprising, not with the way Vamdemon treated his people. 

“I know about being sad.” Her words held hesitance and confusion, but also truth. She knew what it was to be sad. She thought she knew it better than being happy. “Why are you?” 

She wasn’t sure if she expected an answer or not. She didn’t even know how long she could keep this up. Once she’d shouted and screamed in rage, until her voice broke and she could do so no longer. Then once she’d healed, she’d done it all over again, repeating it until the lack of answer and echoes bouncing back drained away her desire to even try. But now, that faint urge to speak, to communicate with someone else, the only person who ever saw her or gave even the vaguest hint that she cared, took deep root and lifted its head. 

“Because…I have to be here. With you.” Her voice dropped low, as if to keep this from being heard by anyone. “And I don’t want to be.” 

The captive’s voice wavered briefly as she dredged up words again. “Is it really that bad?” She knew it was for her; she’d had a normal child’s life before ending up in here. She’d had a mother and a father and a…she’d had a …she’d had people who cared about her and who she missed even now. She’d never really thought too much that LadyDevimon might also lose something by being her eternal guard. 

“Yes, and no.” Something that might’ve been a smile tapped briefly at the pale Digimon’s lips. “It’s not a hardship punishment. Guarding you is meant to be an honor for my years of loyal service.” She hesitated, as if forming her thoughts. “But I wish you didn’t need to be guarded.” 

“So do I.” She dropped her gaze, fingers tracing ever so lightly across the thin blankets beneath her. “I wish I knew why I was.” 

She didn’t know. She’d never known. She knew that … _he_ came back home one day and held something in his hand that…glowed? She thought? The memories were vague about what happened then. The names that Vamdemon called her didn’t make any sense to her. She hadn’t been clear-headed enough to understand any of it until after she ended up here in the first place, and after that, most real information stopped cold, at least about her. 

LadyDevimon’s scarlet eyes turned toward her, and there was a sudden stillness, as if the world held its breath, waiting for something. “I could tell you.” 

Today perhaps was a day for awakenings. She shifted more, rising up. “You can?” A tiny nod, little more than the merest inclination of her head. “Will you?” 

No answer. Not for a period of time that stretched out forever between them. “I shouldn’t. Vamdemon-sama doesn’t think you need to know.” 

The prisoner drooped her head. Of course. Anything that would make her more than a prize kept locked away from the world would be denied to her. He could’ve done _anything_ with her, even to killing her, and he chose instead to keep her here. A spark waved briefly to life in her deepest soul. 

_I’m going to kill him one day._ She knew how unlikely it was. She’d had dreams as a child that she thought would come true long before this one did. But it sparked an image that she held onto with strength she’d forgotten she had. 

She looked at LadyDevimon again. If she couldn’t know the reasons for being here, maybe she could know something else instead. “What can you tell me? About anything?” 

She didn’t hunger for news of the outside. It wouldn’t mean anything to her. She ached to hear someone else’s voice, telling her things that she didn’t know, whether they were true or not. She would’ve settled for bedtime stories, in all honesty. 

“I would take you flying, if I could.” LadyDevimon spoke after more long silent moments. “There’s another world with blue skies and air unlike this world’s. My home: the Digital World.” 

She’d heard of it, from some of the other Digimon who worked here. They never spoke to her, but they spoke among themselves, and she’d listened, and remembered. “What’s it like there?” 

“I don’t know anymore. I haven’t been there in years, and I’ve heard of many changes. Vamdemon-sama’s partner, Piemon-sama, rules there now. He didn’t when I was there before.” LadyDevimon trailed the tips of her claws across the stone wall. “Some of the o…the Chosen Children serve him now.” 

Those words flickered in the depths of her mind, trying to find something to connect to, something she recalled in a voice she hated. His voice. Vamdemon’s voice. “What else?” She didn’t want to press. She thought if she did, LadyDevimon would cease to speak at all, and she didn’t think she could handle the silence right now. 

“I wandered across it many years ago, before I met Vamdemon-sama. I was alone then. Waiting for someone who never came.” LadyDevimon did not look at her, but the captive’s heart twisted at the pain in her words anyway. 

“I wish you were waiting for me. I would’ve come for you.” The idea of waiting all that time and not finding the one person you looked for…what could happen to someone like that? What had happened? 

LadyDevimon’s lips curved for a heartbeat or two. “I wish that too.” She leaned her head back and stared up at the ceiling as well. “But that was a long time ago. You don’t have to worry about it anymore. I don’t.” 

“What else would you do, if we could do it?” She didn’t say ‘together’, though the very idea of seeing someone who wasn’t LadyDevimon sent a chill all through her. What would it be like, talking to other humans? Or even other Digimon? Surely they couldn’t all be like Vamdemon. LadyDevimon wasn’t. The little cat hadn’t been. 

Again moments passed before there was an answer. “I would take you somewhere to eat. I know of a restaurant run by a Veggiemon. He serves some of the most delicious food ever.” 

Her stomach didn’t rumble. She couldn’t imagine better food than what she had now being given to her. She knew it existed, but the thought of eating it again, eating something more than the tolerable slop that filled her plates wasn’t one she could easily think of. She smiled, though. Flying. Eating good food. She liked how LadyDevimon thought. 

Slowly she curled around herself, the sudden strength that led her to speak draining out of her. She had good images in her mind, and memories that would sustain her for a while longer. 

Then something else occurred to her, and she twisted around once more. “LadyDevimon…do you know my name?” 

The silence that descended this time rang of tension and pain. LadyDevimon drew in a breath that didn’t break any of it. 

She knew that she had a name. Sometimes she thought she even remembered it. But not having _heard_ it directed toward her in all these years made it little more than a wisp of memory that she could never hold onto. It wasn’t something that mattered, because she never could do anything. Names were for people who did things, not someone who sat in a cell day in and day out. 

“No. Vamdemon-sama never told it to me.” LadyDevimon didn’t look at her at all, and the prisoner wondered for a moment if she were being told the truth. 

It didn’t matter. Her name wasn’t that important. 

* * *

_Hikari. Your name is Hikari. Yagami Hikari, the Child of Light._ LadyDevimon wanted to tell her that with all of what remained of her heart, to sweep her out of here and do everything that she’d just talked about. Yet if she so much as made a move to do it, Vamdemon would be aware, and they would both suffer for it. She would be destroyed in such a fashion that her egg couldn’t regenerate and Hikari would be given a new guard, one who would not care to give her the small moments of hope, few and far between as they were, that LadyDevimon managed to worm in there. 

Why, after all this time, had the child chosen to ask about what they might do? Why had she wanted to know these things? She’d gone months without speaking, and her voice showed it, a dry, cracking, dusty thing, swallowed up by the silence of the cells. LadyDevimon couldn’t help but be surprised she’d even been able to speak in the first place. 

_I should report this to Vamdemon-sama._ She knew she should . She made no movements to do so, and knew that she would not. Despite his demand to know everything that happened with the imprisoned Child of Light, this didn’t seem important enough. A few vague questions, from someone who only exited the prison for display purposes? It wasn’t worth mentioning and the last time she’d seen him, he’d had far more important matters on his mind. 

“…LadyDevimon?” As always, that voice calling her name was unexpected, as well as hesitant, as if he wasn’t certain this was what he wanted to call her. 

That didn’t surprise her. Some days she wondered if it was what she should be called at all. But she never knew what else she should be. 

“Wizarmon.” 

He stood in the shadows of the doorway, where Hikari couldn’t see him. If she heard him, she didn’t make any movements to indicate that. He wasn’t forbidden to come here, but very few had permission to interact in any way with Vamdemon’s prized prisoner. LadyDevimon would gladly report that he hadn’t spoken to the human at all. He never did, anyway. 

“It’s been a long time.” She hadn’t counted the days, but she thought it had to have been at least a few weeks. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” 

He shrugged, his green eyes cautious as he watched her. “I’ve little else to do at the moment. My experiments are all at a point where I don’t need to watch them, and I’ve completed my duties for the evening.” 

She envied him now and then. Unlike her, he spent at least some portion of his time outside of the castle. It was only on meaningless patrols, but at least he could leave. She would never say anything of the sort, though. This _was_ a prized position and she wanted no one else to have it. 

“What sort of experiments have you been doing?” LadyDevimon found it difficult to speak to others on occasion, but she’d never had that lack when it came to Wizarmon. There were moments she felt as if she knew him on a different level from everyone else. It made no sense, but it happened, nevertheless. 

“Metal transmutation, more than anything else.” He shrugged as if it meant nothing to him. “I’ve managed to master transforming iron and steel, but changing what I turn it into back isn’t easy.” 

She wished that she knew more of magic, if only to understand what he worked with better. She didn’t know why he worked the spells that he did, but it would likely come in handy if they needed to fight humans again at some point. 

“It might not be necessary if you can do it. Humans had armor plated weapons when we first fought them.” 

“You’re quite right.” Wizarmon nodded, though she couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of this himself. He was probably humoring her. “How have your days been?” 

The dark Digimon shrugged, her attention flickering back to where Hikari rested. “The same as always. There aren’t many changes here.” 

“So I’ve heard. But that’s what’s wanted, isn’t it?” Wizarmon tilted his head a fraction so he could see around the corner. LadyDevimon tensed at that, but he made no further moves. 

“It is.” Her claws scraped briefly across the stone of the wall. “Is there any other news from above?” She wanted to believe Vamdemon-sama would tell her if there were anything truly important going on, but if she couldn’t do anything about it, he might keep it from her, to keep her from worrying. 

Wizarmon said nothing for a few moments, and she had the definite impression he was choosing his words with the greatest of care when he did speak. “Nothing that would interest you.” 

“Try me anyway.” LadyDevimon ached to find out what was going on. She knew their conquest had been successful; she’d attended enough celebrations to know that. But what else was going on? What happened in the Digital World? The last she’d heard Piemon and his Dark Masters still searched for Gennai, even as they tightened their own grip on the world. 

Wizarmon still took his time before he said anything. “I was told about some human attacking one of the pack. But very little has come of it that I know of. Some of the humans must still think they can fight back.” 

LadyDevimon stirred a trifle; people challenging Vamdemon’s rule? Hadn’t all of the rebellion been crushed out of them? Perhaps humans were stronger than she’d thought. 

It would explain a great deal about Hikari and her sudden, if brief, revival. Even after a decade, she understood little about humans. 

“Vamdemon-sama will finish them.” Wizarmon added, and LadyDevimon nodded; there would likely be a great many hunts, and possibly another celebration, one that Hikari would be trotted out and displayed for. All the Digimon knew she was the Child of Light and supposedly one of those who would’ve fought Vamdemon, if he hadn’t defeated them all before she’d ever heard of the Digital World. 

“I’m certain he will.” He’d done it before, and to opponents far stronger than anything this world could currently produce. If the Chosen couldn’t win against him, who could? 

**To Be Continued**


	9. The Search

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 9: The Search  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,631||story: 24,064  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** I am currently undecided on if there will be any romance in this story at all. If there are, there is an equal chance they will be m/m, m/f, or f/f, and could range from human/human to human/Digimon to Digimon/Digimon. There have been canonical character deaths in the past of this story and I feel there will be more in the future, though since I'm kind of making this up as we go along, I can't be entirely certain. I'm not going to rule it out, though. Of course, with vampires in the mix, death isn't always the end.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

Wizarmon made his way up the slick stone steps that led away from the dungeon cells. He didn’t look behind him, though every part of his heart urged him to do so, to have one last look at LadyDevimon. He didn’t listen. They were not friends; no one in Vamdemon’s army had friends. Too much hung in the balance now for him to act even the smallest bit out of character. He’d told her too much already when speaking of his experiments. 

_I shouldn’t have said anything at all about those._ He needed to stop coming down here anyway. Spending time around her made it easier to talk, and harder to remember why he shouldn’t. 

He fought to maintain every bit of his composure, turning his thoughts resolutely to the meeting that would occur in just a few days. Finding a safe space hadn’t taken as long as he’d thought it would. Soon, for the first time in years, he would actually speak to humans whose loyalty wasn’t completely Vamdemon’s. They would actually begin to forge a way to defeat the vampire lord. 

Some part of him expected this to all end up as a trick or a dream. Perhaps he’d let something slip and not realized it and Vamdemon spun all of this in order to expose him as a spy. The only evidence he had of safety was that Gennai arranged this meeting, and that wasn’t good enough. All of his information said that Piemon didn’t know where Gennai’s base was. If Piemon had found it, then it would make sense to lie about it, in order to lure the spy in for capture. 

He couldn’t spend all of his time fretting about the risks that the meeting posed. He needed to get ready for the meeting itself. If it were a trap, then he’d deal with that later. There were still slightly better chances that everything was just as Gennai said it was, which meant the long years of waiting were finally over. 

What would free humans be like? He’d encountered so few before the invasion settled in and became an occupation, and most of them ran screaming from him once they knew what he was. He didn’t expect them to like him, but toleration would do for now. 

They definitely wouldn’t be like the poor Child of Light. Yagami Hikari, that was her name. He kept it close to him, as he did all the names of those who’d once sought to fight against Vamdemon and his ilk. They may have failed and been broken in various ways, but he remembered what they’d been before. Someone had to. They certainly didn’t. 

He wouldn’t let her stay there. He’d made his mind up on that long ago. But without somewhere he could hide her where the vampire pack wouldn’t be able to trace her scent, without convincing LadyDevimon to go along with it, without being able to get into her cell and get her out without the other guards being alerted, he hadn’t been able to accomplish it. That was why he’d studied transmutation, working to master the spells to make one thing become something else. 

Even if he hadn’t mentioned that to LadyDevimon, he knew for a fact that when he broke Hikari out of there, he would be the first suspect, just for the fact he’d done it with magic. There weren’t very many of those in Vamdemon’s army that had the skills to do so. The whole idea of being so obvious pained him, but his options were not the best. So long as he managed to free her, and LadyDevimon, and keep them somewhere safe until Vamdemon’s reign fell, he would be satisfied. 

It would also be convenient if Vamdemon came down with a sudden case of wood poisoning and reconfigured himself, but Wizarmon didn’t trust to that much luck. He also wasn’t certain that staking Vamdemon would actually kill him in the first place. Perhaps crushing his egg might, but that would require beating him down to the point he was an egg at all. 

“Wizarmon.” 

Wizarmon brought his staff up by instinct, eyes narrowing, before he saw who stood a short distance away. At once he lowered his weapon and bowed gracefully. 

“Vamdemon-sama.” His heart pounded faster; of all those he could’ve met here, his so-called liege lord wasn’t close to the top of the list. If anything, he occupied a permanent spot at the bottom of it. “How may I be of service?” 

“Come with me.” Vamdemon didn’t look to see if he obeyed, but turned and stalked along, his strides brisk and sharp. Wizarmon followed, focusing his mind into patterns of calm he’d learned years earlier. They didn’t always work, especially when he was around Vamdemon, but he needed to try anyway. 

Luck was with him, to some extent. Vamdemon didn’t ask him questions or even attempt to engage him in anything like a conversation. Wizarmon’s cautious mind didn’t like that, no matter how relieved part of him was. It only made him wonder what the vampire had in mind. It wasn’t often that they spoke to one another, and he couldn’t imagine why Vamdemon would wish to do so now. 

At last they arrived at Vamdemon’s destination: a simple, elegant sitting room. The four members of the flock lounged around in comfortable chairs, casually chatting with one another. Nervous cold sweat trickled down the back of Wizarmon’s spine. Seeing the whole flock together never boded well. 

Vamdemon strode over to an empty chair, far more elaborate than the others, and sat down. Wizarmon at once knelt before him, going over his inner calming rituals with more intensity. One wrong word, perhaps even a wrong thought, and all that he’d fought for ended here and now. 

“Taichi tells me that he spoke to you of the crossbow user who he encountered some nights ago.” 

Wizarmon nodded, keeping his features set to a hint of confusion, nothing more. “This is true, Vamdemon-sama.” He would tell nothing that he didn’t have to, and no more than he was asked. 

“You’ve patrolled the area since then?” Another nod in answer, but nothing more. “Have you discovered anything else?” 

Now he shook his head. “I explored that region in an attempt to find the crossbow bolt itself, in case it could tell us anything. But there wasn’t any sign of it. The crossbow user most likely retrieved it.” And good for whomever that was. It showed some sense, at least. He hoped he had the chance to talk to them when he met with the resistance. 

“That storm the other night wiped out their scent trail.” Taichi spoke up, a furrow between his eyebrows. “If it weren’t for that, I could’ve found them.” “Perhaps.” Vamdemon shrugged. “Wizarmon, your magic might be able to tell us what his nose cannot. Taichi, take him to that area and see what you can both find. Anything that can lead us to whomever this might be will be useful.” 

Wizarmon’s heart clenched tight. He almost wished that he had been uncovered. At least that would only truly bring down himself, while this put many others at risk. 

“As you wish, Vamdemon-sama.” He wanted to believe there wasn’t any trail, at least none that he could find. But he had to try to find it, no matter what. 

The vampire overlord gestured them away. Taichi sprang to his feet and Wizarmon rose up, turning for the door. 

“Taichi, feed before you go. We don’t need a repeat of that night.” Vamdemon spoke before they could depart. The brunet rolled his eyes, making certain to do so with his back turned to his master. Wizarmon couldn’t have been more grateful for his hat and cloak, concealing the small smile that touched on his lips just then. 

“All right, I’ll go have a snack. Meet me outside, this won’t take long.” 

Wizarmon knew where he was going; the vampire pack kept pens of humans they could use when hunting was bad or they didn’t feel like hunting at all. Very few had ever escaped from those pens, and most of those who had ended up being caught and bled dry within a few weeks anyway. 

For all of that, those humans were kept in excellent condition, given room to move around in, and fed better than the wild humans that still roamed the cities. Wizarmon sickened at the thought of it. 

He took the time between leaving the meeting area and exiting the castle to compose himself and focus on what he would need to do. While Vamdemon himself knew some magic, Taichi and the rest of the herd hadn’t been taught anything of the like. But whatever he did would make its way back to the master sooner or later, which meant he had to move with caution. 

_I can’t keep this up forever._ He’d already worked himself into an emotional frazzle over the long years. He’d never expected this to go on as long as it had. Sooner or later he would slip. He knew it. 

A light breeze ghosted through the castle courtyard, sending a swirl of fallen leaves skittering across the cobblestones. Wizarmon wondered at times where the castle had come from; it hadn’t been here when they’d arrived. Vamdemon and his troops had taken refuge in whatever human buildings they’d been able to find then. But shortly after the conquest was secured, the castle rose up in all of its barbaric splendor. It mirrored Vamdemon’s castle as it had once been in the Digital World almost to the letter. 

“Ready to go?” Taichi landed next to him, a faint trace of red still on his lips that he didn’t bother to wipe away. “I hope you can find something. I’ve got a few words for whoever it was that tried to shoot me.” 

Wizarmon bent his head. “I’ll do my best.” He had a few words as well, mainly involving how to shoot more accurately and which parts of a vampire were the most vulnerable. 

He chose not to say that out loud, however. 

The two of them took off, soaring past the guards at the front gate with little more than a wave. The vampire pack had permission to come and go as they pleased, and being with Taichi granted Wizarmon that same privilege, for tonight. 

Neither of them spoke until they arrived at the district the aborted attack had taken place in. Wizarmon looked around, sketching out what he would need to do to get this search begun. He hadn’t practiced tracking spells very often, nor had he needed to. If he failed to find anything, and perhaps if he succeeded, he would use that for an excuse. 

“Need me to do anything?” Taichi landed on a branch, his fingers digging casually into the trunk of the tree. Wizarmon shook his head. 

“This shouldn’t take very long.” He hadn’t decided if he wanted it to or not. But he began, closing his eyes and focusing his thoughts on what images and impressions that he could gather from the area. 

The wind, still kicking up dust and leaves and whatever pieces of trash littered the area here, just as it had back at the castle, now smoothed out, leaving nothing but a deadly silence all around. Wizarmon worked his fingers in the movements of the spell, searching for information. He not only had made a serious study of this, he’d never done it in this world at all. That made quite a difference; magic worked in its own ways in each world and part of what he’d spent most of his time studying here had been how to recreate many of the spells he’d known how to do in the Digital World. 

“Anything?” Taichi asked, looking around to the four corners of the compass. “This is getting boring.” 

“I’m sorry. I can’t speed this up.” Wizarmon grunted the words out, fighting to focus harder. He’d managed to catch a few threads of someone who wasn’t Taichi and who seemed to have a great deal of hatred for vampires in their soul. That did cover a great deal of the population of the planet in general, but hatred this deep, in this area, could only be from the attempted hunter. 

Somewhere, a pebble bounced and a sudden gust of wind brought a hint of human on it. Wizarmon and Taichi both stiffened, and Wizarmon swore to himself. He would’ve expected the hunter would return to the area sooner or later. But why did it have to be now? 

“You keep going. I’ll check on this.” Taichi lifted off from the tree and ghosted away, circling around to where the sound and scent came from. Wizarmon wished the crossbow wielder, if that was truly who it was, the best of luck and kept himself bent on his task. 

The longer he searched, the more certain he was that the arrival was indeed that same attempted hunter. The scent of hate was stronger since that light sound, and he began to pick up the faintest of images. He couldn’t entirely be certain of what they were, only that they formed the foundation of the hate. 

_Is that Vamdemon?_ He couldn’t keep enough of a grip on the images, not with his lack of mastery of the spell, to know for certain but he thought it was. It wasn’t much of a leap to make; anyone who hated vampires enough to try to kill them likely hated Vamdemon most of all. 

Wizarmon pulled himself out of the spell and straightened up, his limbs strained and creaking from having been nearly frozen for too long. He would need to spend some time on the training field to work these aches out. His skills didn’t lie in physical combat, but the mage who refused to at least go jogging now and then would be more of a handicap than a help on the battlefield. 

“Taichi?” Wizarmon gripped his staff more tightly as he looked around. A sensation prickled down his spine; he hadn’t been able to find out everything, or even very much at all, about the shooter, but he had a feeling he knew where they were. It wasn’t a clear one and he had to concentrate to get more than the sensation of being watched, and right now, he couldn’t be sure if it was because of the remnants of the spell or because the archer really was there watching him. 

No answer came from the vampire, and Wizarmon strained harder in his attempts to see something. Anything. He wasn’t very particular, as long as he could get some sense of what was going on. 

One footstep, clear as could be, then another. It wasn’t Taichi; the vampire wouldn’t have bothered to set foot to ground when he could be more maneuverable in the air. The wind settled again, and Wizarmon wished that it didn’t. His nose couldn’t compare to that of some Digimon, but it would’ve helped to get a better sense of who was around and who wasn’t. 

Footsteps, faster and with more purpose, sounded, and Wizarmon whirled in the direction he heard them coming from, and wasted no time. Regardless of what he felt or wanted, he had to be Vamdemon’s loyal warrior for now, and that meant defending himself from attack. With a single spoken word, fire erupted from the tip of his staff, circling all around him. A quick wave sent it forward, in the direction the footsteps came from, and Wizarmon couldn’t make up his mind on what he wanted to hope for, victory or defeat. 

The scream that echoed a heartbeat later didn’t give him any of the answers he wanted either. 

**To Be Continued**


	10. The Sparring

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 10: The Sparring  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,565||story: 26,619  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** I am currently undecided on if there will be any romance in this story at all. If there are, there is an equal chance they will be m/m, m/f, or f/f, and could range from human/human to human/Digimon to Digimon/Digimon. There have been canonical character deaths in the past of this story and I feel there will be more in the future, though since I'm kind of making this up as we go along, I can't be entirely certain. I'm not going to rule it out, though. Of course, with vampires in the mix, death isn't always the end.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

Piemon didn’t like reading over reports. He knew it was necessary for the proper running of an empire, but that didn’t mean he liked it. That was what he had servants for, anyway. They read over the reports and told him what he needed to know, if anything. He busied himself with what truly mattered: keeping his unruly horde of minions in line and preventing the Digimon from uprising and overthrowing his domination. 

He also enjoyed spending his time practicing with his weaponry, hunting for Gennai and his idiot band of do-gooders, and sampling fine wines, especially the ones Vamdemon sent him from Earth. He seldom turned down the chance to read a good book as well. It was hard work ruling an empire. He deserved what pleasures he could save for himself. 

With practiced care, he ran the edge of one of his swords against the sharpening stone. His Trump Swords didn’t actually need to be sharpened like this; being forged of digital steel gave them an edge that never needed improving. But he liked the sound it made, and more than once he’d used it to keep lesser beings like Pinnochimon in line. 

At least he had when Pinnochimon was still around. Where _had_ the little fool wandered off to? Piemon didn’t know, but he cared only in the sense that the puppet was indeed an Ultimate level Digimon, and power like that needed to be tamed and contained, not allowed to wander as he would. 

Perhaps he’d have Koushirou look up the idiot. He’d had others look for the former Dark Master before, but the redheaded human was a master of finding others through the network. He still hadn’t found Gennai, but Piemon knew well that the old warrior would be more likely found by accident than design. So far those leads the young man had spoken of had failed to pan out properly. 

He made a note to himself to assign Koushirou to the search for Pinnochimon and continued to tend his blades. He still remained mildly surprised that taking in three humans, three who would’ve worked and fought against him under any other circumstances, had worked out so well. It had taken some time and effort, of course, to get them to where they _would_ be as loyal as they were to him, but he’d had the time and he’d been more than willing to put in the effort. 

In his opinion, he’d done a better job with these three than Vamdemon had with his four. Vamdemon destroyed their humanity entirely, replacing them with four hollow shells filled with bloodlust and fake smiles. Piemon took ten years to raise three fine children, each of whom was as loyal to him as could be. 

He suspected that if they had the chance to return to the human world and seek out their families there, they would take it, if only for closure on that part. But he’d already made plans in that event. They were _his_ and he would never let them forget that. 

Piemon rose to his feet suddenly, sending his sword back to where the four of them rested when he didn’t need them. He didn’t care to just sharpen them mindlessly; he wanted to put his weapons to use. And since there were no Digimon in range who he wanted or needed to shred to their digital bits, there was only one other option: to find someone to spar with. 

He knew just who he wanted, as well. He’d trained Yamato for years, once the boy recovered from his injuries, and knew how he moved as well as he knew himself. Yet there were still moments with the young blond could surprise him. 

He wasn’t at all surprised to find Yamato moving through one of the more difficult fighting forms when he arrived at the training room. For the first few minutes he simply stood in the shadows and watched, noting places where Yamato needed to improve his work or where he’d already improved from the last time they’d sparred against one another. 

Piemon knew that he would want an assignment soon, something to prove his dedication and loyalty, something to show how much _better_ he was than Enshoumon. He’d suspected that would happen ever since she began to rise up in the ranks. Yamato wouldn’t stand for anyone else to take his position in _anything_. 

“You’re doing quite well.” Piemon chose just the right moment to step out onto the training mat, hovering a few inches above it. Actually walking on floors wasn’t something he did on a regular basis. He considered it more of an intimidation technique than a way to get from point A to point B. 

Yamato whirled the moment the first word fell out of his mouth, and bent down on one knee without hesitation. “Master.” 

Piemon nodded, not touching Yamato in praise the way he would Takeru. The younger blond enjoyed the physical affirmation of his approval, while Yamato simply accepted a few words as accolades. 

There were times Piemon wondered if human parents had to worry about these things as much as he had. Raising children of any species could turn one’s hair white. 

“Stand up. I have something new to teach you.” He’d made a point to never teach Yamato _everything_ that he knew, and to encourage the boy to develop his own style. He didn’t want a mirror image of himself in human form wandering around. There could be only one of him. He imagined his enemies would agree with that as much as he did. Yamato was his student, his enforcer, and his minion, not his reflection. 

Yamato was on his feet a moment later, and while his features remained hidden by his mask, his eyes betrayed his excitement. He said nothing else; not that Piemon expected him to. One point he’d always regretted about the attack that scarred Yamato was the loss of the blond’s proper voice. Always an appreciator of the arts, Piemon wondered what his singing voice would’ve sounded like now that puberty had finished having its way with him. 

Piemon drew out his blades and began the first part of the lesson. Both of them were already warmed up, and it didn’t take long before their swords clashed against one another, sparks flying. Piemon knew well how much strength he could use against the other, and how much Yamato would use against him. He pressed forward, pushing the other to either step back or move around, then darted over to prevent that route of escape. 

Yamato had definitely grown in strength since the last time they fought one another. Piemon approved; he would need all the power he could muster to finish Gennai off when the time came. The leader of the Dark Masters knew quite well how much hatred for Gennai burned within Yamato’s soul, and never failed to take a chance to fan the flames higher. He hadn’t inspired them, but he encouraged them frequently over the years. 

The new move he had in mind featured more than just strength, but involved agility and speed as well, factors Yamato held just as much as he did strength. Piemon knew if he didn’t master it now, it wouldn’t be for lack of trying. It would come in due course. Yamato was not one to give up something that might give him an advantage on the battlefield. 

Piemon showed him the move over and over, until sweat dripped from both of them, and Yamato had to fight to breathe without strain. Yamato did all within his power to duplicate it, and managed to do so, though not yet with Piemon’s mastery of it, before the Digimon overlord called a halt to the proceedings. He’d successfully occupied his time and now dinner’s hour approached. 

“Master.” Yamato spoke as soon as he’d caught his breath, busy wiping the sweat off with his handkerchief at the same time. “Mission.” 

Piemon did not hold back his smile. “Did you have something in mind?” He liked Yamato choosing his own tasks. It showed an eagerness to please that Piemon found quite thrilling. 

He was also not surprised when Yamato nodded. The other had likely thought about this before he’d even considered opening his mouth. With as few words as Yamato spoke these days, he tended to make those as meaningful as he could. 

“Gennai.” 

Piemon tilted his head. “Koushirou’s clues haven’t amounted to much. Do you think you can do a better job?” 

Yamato’s lips curved upward into a light smirk. “Yes.” Oh, there was definitely a plan forming behind those cold blue eyes. Piemon approved. He approved so very much. 

“Very well. Take what you need. I think I can manage without you for a few days at least.” There wasn’t much that he needed Yamato to do anyway, and Takeru could take up the slack while his brother was away. The two of them tended to trade off like that as it was. Yamato would also trust Takeru not to try to backstab him, a trust that he extended to almost none of the Digimon around the palace. 

Yamato bent his head obediently, and headed out a heartbeat later, once Piemon gave a quick signal of dismissal. Piemon looked forward to seeing what he could return with. If nothing else, there might be a few interesting tales about enemy Digimon disposed of to regale them all with. Though knowing how Yamato worked, it would likely be Gabumon telling them instead of the blond. 

Piemon smiled as he wended his way toward his own quarters. He wished at times that he could get his hands around the throat of that Flare Lizamon again. Perhaps this time he would drown it before shredding it down to its component data. Or perhaps even better, he would turn it over to Yamato and let him wreak his own vengeance on the creature that damaged him so much. He would like to watch that. 

* * *

Leomon spun, slamming the sharp edge of his blade into the sparring dummy’s neck deeply enough that if it were a living creature, it would surely die. He rested there for a few seconds before wrenching his sword out. It wasn’t enough. It couldn’t be enough, not yet. 

_I need better sparring partners._ He could not be sure if he’d ever be able to go up against Piemon himself, but he trained with that thought in mind. Piemon was known far and wide as one of the greatest swordsmon the Digital World had ever known. Anyone who dared face him needed overwhelming strength, skills, or luck. Preferably all three. 

For the last ten years or better, luck had been in extremely short supply, and strength and skills hadn’t been much better. 

Leomon checked the edge of his blade before he returned it to the sheath. It would do, for now at least. He would tend to it with more care before he took his rest. Until then, he needed something more to let out his nervous energy on. 

If Ogremon had been there, he would’ve challenged the other to a match. They both would’ve enjoyed it, for different reasons. But his counterpart was needed still at the Village of Beginnings, and there were few others who could match him here. 

He made up his mind on what to do in a heartbeat. If there wasn’t anyone around here he could spar against, then he would find someone out there who he could fight, be it a not-so-friendly spar or actual combat. Depriving Piemon of any of his warriors was always a worthwhile goal. 

Not to mention it would give him something to do that wasn’t sitting around and waiting for reports from Earth to come in. He trusted Gennai’s choice in spies and in getting Wizarmon to work with the humans there, but waiting for all of that to happen grated on his nerves far too much. He preferred action himself. 

There were times when he wished that he could’ve gone to Earth, and could face Vamdemon directly himself. All of this was his fault, once the cobwebs and misdirection were swept away. If he’d not touched the humans who now served as his vampire pack, then none of this would’ve happened. He didn’t know what would have, but it would be better than what they did have. If only because he had no idea of how it could’ve been any worse. 

Focusing his thoughts away from there, Leomon sprang out of one of the concealed exits to Gennai’s base, and strode briskly through the woodlands, keeping every inch of his attention on the alert for any Digimon who might be in the area. He hoped that none of the smaller ones had seen him coming out; they’d kept Gennai’s location a secret all this time only by be exceedingly careful when and where they left and how they returned. A single Digimon looking in the wrong direction at the wrong time could bring it all down upon them. 

If he hadn’t known any better, he wasn’t certain if he could’ve told that the Digital World remained under Piemon’s thumb as firmly as it did. While the world had been twisted for years, there were still areas that reminded him of File Island and how the Digital World looked in its glory days. 

Leomon made sure to range relatively far from the exit before he set himself to looking seriously for any of Piemon’s warriors to confront. He refused to fight any of them near the exit, not wishing to risk anyone getting an idea of where to look for the hidden mansion. What little information they had from the inside of Piemon’s workings told them that Koushirou, former Child of Knowledge, spent a great deal of his time trying to find them, and countering his efforts took time. 

His ears twitched suddenly, and Leomon pressed himself against the nearest tree. He’d heard footsteps, measured and wary, the pace of a hunter. He didn’t think it would be Takeru, not so soon after the encounter at the Village of Beginnings. But there were others high ranking in Piemon’s hierarchy who might be in the area, and Leomon hoped this was someone who could give him a good battle. 

The wind wasn’t in his favor; he couldn’t get any sort of scent of who it was. He didn’t move, not sure if they had the skill in reading scents that he did. With it not being in his favor, it was in theirs, and he preferred to keep what little advantages he could find. 

What he heard was little more than the movement of feet through the grass. No stray twigs or branches broke under this person, which argued against it being Piemon, who would not set foot to ground willingly. Leomon didn’t yet know if that were good or bad. A chance, no matter how slim, to take the evil Digimon out could not be turned down. 

He tilted his head up and saw a branch reaching out above him, one wide and strong enough to support his weight. He didn’t think about it for another moment, but leaped upward, claws digging in and holding on tight. Attacking from behind wasn’t his preferred method, but he could see who this was first, and make his plans from there. 

**To Be Continued**


	11. The Dinner

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 11: The Dinner  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,640||story: 29,259  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** A breath of romance has entered starting in this chapter. I'll go ahead and spoil you: it's Mimi x Sora/Sora x Mimi. Also, there are still canonical character deaths in the past and ones that may well happen in the future, but of course, with vampires in the mix, that doesn't mean they'll stay dead for long.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

Mimi prodded her slender fingers into the soil, checking on the progress of her treasures here. Not many plants could survive in a world of shadows, ruled by vampires, but these little darlings were special, different. 

“So pretty,” she murmured to herself, and to them. They hadn’t yet bloomed, but she knew they would soon. Was it spring? Summer? She couldn’t remember; with the hiding of the sun, seasons meant very little. But they would open themselves within a few weeks’ time. 

She stroked one pale leaf; most plants died under a vampire’s touch, but these sharp-edged glories moved as if to lean into her fingers. She thought the seeds came from the Digital World; Vamdemon-sama hadn’t told her much when she’d begged for something she could plant and watch grow. He’d only given her the seeds. 

No one else bothered to enter her garden. It wasn’t very large, but it was her territory within the castle, and hers alone. She dropped a few more beads of water onto the bush and rose to her feet, ready to move on to the next little treasure awaiting her attention. 

“Mimi.” She turned at the sound of Sora’s voice and saw her fellow vampire standing in the archway that led out to the greater part of the castle. “Are you free?” 

“Almost.” Mimi stepped over to the next bush, running her fingers over the leaves and the closed up buds. She so looked forward to them opening up and seeing their glory before her. There was nothing quite like teasing something into life. 

She wondered if Vamdemon-sama felt like that about them. They were his seeds, his flowers that he’d brought to non-life. 

She couldn’t imagine being anything other than what she was now. What could she have been without his touch on her life? It didn’t bear thinking about and she didn’t bother to do so now, concentrating instead on finishing her gardening duties and then going over to where Sora still waited for her. 

“What is it?” The two of them were closer than they’d been when they’d first met, but even Sora didn’t set foot inside Mimi’s garden. Vamdemon-sama himself paid only cursory attention to it, enough so that she knew he knew everything she grew and where she gained her fertilizer from. 

“I thought you might want to have dinner with me. It’s been a while.” Sora’s smile wasn’t the sweet sight it had been ten years earlier, at least not by human standards. But Mimi’s standards hadn’t been human in that same amount of time, and the sight warmed what she had that passed for a heart now. 

“I’d love to.” Tending her garden took more out of her than she liked to admit, since it was her magical energies that sustained the life here in place of the sun. And her plants could always use more fertilizer as well. “Let me clean up first.” Even being a vampire didn’t get rid of the need for a good shower, especially after all the work she put in at her garden. 

Sora nodded, eyes glowing softly in anticipation. Mimi hurried off to her quarters to get cleaned up. She wondered as she did what Sora might have in mind for dinner. Their options weren’t as open as they normally would have been, given the current situation. 

_Vamdemon-sama said that we can’t go hunting in the wild regions until whoever that crossbow person is has been caught._ She expected Taichi and Wizarmon to return soon with word of their enemy’s capture or death, but that wouldn’t let them go out feeding tonight. 

When she stepped out of her room, Sora stood just outside the door, wrapped in her customary dark red outfit. She smiled again at the sight of Mimi, now dressed in her own preferred dark blue garb. All of the vampire pack dressed in dark colors; it helped to blend in no matter where they were. In Mimi’s opinon, Sora had made a very good choice for her chosen colors. Red blended in perfectly with her hair and eyes, and it made her look like what she was: a fierce and proud hunter. 

“What did you have in mind for tonight?” Mimi asked, tilting her head a fraction. “One of the donors or someone from the pen?” Those were their only real options until they could hunt wild game again. 

“The pen.” Sora’s eyes glinted with wicked mischief. “And something of a hunt at the same time.” 

“What do you mean?” Mimi liked the way Sora looked like that. There was something definitely going on in her mind. 

“You’ll see. Vamdemon-sama already gave his permission.” That was all that Sora needed to say to get Mimi’s full attention and she followed the other to a part of the castle she’d seldom visited before. 

What lay before them was a twisting maze of passages and corridors, with doorways that led into rooms or series of rooms, some of which could only be reached by the inner doors. There wasn’t a single guard, Digimon or human, inside of that reach, and standing outside the entranceway were two humans, clad only in thin, worn garments that likely would’ve been given away to a secondhand clothes store before Vamdemon’s rule overtook the world. 

“These are our meals.” Sora introduced them with a gesture of one graceful hand. The humans stared at them both, teeth chattering and huddling closer to one another. “We’re going to release them into the maze here. If they can manage to survive it, we’ll let them go.” She bared her teeth and the humans both backed away, eyes wide and round with fear. Mimi found the smile beautiful. “If they can’t, then we feed.” 

“How long do we have?” One of them managed to scrape up the nerve to ask. Sora’s smile widened a fraction. 

“Until we catch you.” 

Mimi licked her lips, eyeing the pen-raised creatures. They’d been fed and watered and exercised like all good cattle, which meant they were now strong and healthy. They would give them a good run. She looked forward to seeing what their blood tasted like once the chase ended. 

“That’s not fair!” The other human protested, and Mimi blinked a little in confusion. 

“What does that have to do with it?” Did they really expect anything to be _fair_? They were cattle! Nothing more nor less than the animals humans themselves once kept to eat. What else did they want? 

Sora flicked her fingers toward the door to the maze. “Go. We’ll come get you.” 

For a few heartbeats the humans stood, and Mimi could hear the blood rushing through their veins in absolute terror. She licked her lips, imagining even more clearly what it would taste like once charged with fear. Perhaps something about her expression encouraged them to run, since they broke and headed into the maze as quickly as their legs could carry them. 

Mimi glanced over to Sora, one eyebrow quirked. “How long should we wait?” 

“Not long.” Sora curled herself into a waiting chair, eyes thoughtful as she watched the door. The sound of the humans’ footsteps faded out of hearing soon, even with their keen senses. Mimi made herself comfortable as well, knowing that soon the real chase would begin. 

Her thoughts wandered briefly; how long would it be until they had a real hunt out in the wild? She didn’t do that very often, but she liked having the option to do so. 

The idea of humans hunting them didn’t appeal to her at all. She’d spent enough time in the Digital World being chased by every sort of monster that one could imagine, and many that they couldn’t. She much preferred her existence as it was now, safe within the castle walls, a predator herself, instead of weak little prey. If anything, or anyone, did try to attack her, she didn’t need to rely on someone else to defend her. She could take care of them herself. 

_Palmon…_ Though there were moments, ones she tried not to think of very often, when she missed the small plant Digimon that had once stood by her side. 

“You miss her, don’t you?” Sora’s voice caressed against her ears and Mimi looked up to see the other looking at her. “Palmon.” 

“How did you guess?” Mimi didn’t really need an answer. Sora could read people very well. Being a vampire only made it better. 

“I miss Piyomon.” Sora tilted her head back to eye the ceiling above them. “Would you like to come see her egg after dinner?” 

Mimi didn’t need to think twice about that. “Yes.” The eggs couldn’t hatch again; Vamdemon-sama told them their Digimon were bonded to them, and since they themselves were undead, their partners could never awaken so long as the bond remained. 

Sora nodded, then rose to her feet. “I think they’ve had enough time to play, don’t you?” 

Mimi’s smile was no less hungry or twisted than Sora’s had been. “Let’s go.” 

* * *

The two of them strolled through the corridors, watching for any sign of their prey. There were many places that the humans could hide here, and tracking by scent wouldn’t be quite as effective, except to give them some kind of hint as to where their prey wasn’t at the moment. Still, that was better than nothing at all, and both vampires knew that. 

Sora leaned forward, sniffing automatically at the air, head tilted to catch the slightest sound. She’d asked for the best that the pens had to offer, which meant this might just be a fraction more of a challenge than just having a couple of donors delivered to her quarters. 

Not that eating in was such a bad thing, but she wanted something more than a casual meal with Mimi. Hunting their prey like this was much more entertaining and they both knew it. 

Footsteps skittered ahead of them, and she picked up the sound of quick, harsh murmurs as well. She smiled; perhaps the dears were foolish enough to think they could attack their hunters? Oh, she did hope so! It had been _so_ long since anyone fought back. 

She didn’t understand why Vamdemon-sama didn’t let them all go hunt down the one with the crossbow. Whoever it was couldn’t shoot fast enough to get them all, and likely couldn’t hit even one of them. With five of them to go up against, whoever it was would fall, sooner or later. With just one and Wizarmon, she wasn’t at all certain of the outcome. 

But her master’s word was law, as it had been from the moment she’d opened her eyes and seen him standing over her, her blood fresh on his lips, and a fading pain in her neck. He’d told her that he was her master, and she’d known at once that he spoke the truth. Her memories took longer to flicker back into existence, but what he’d said still remained strong: she did as he commanded. 

The smallest of noises had been what made the difference. What if she’d never stumbled that day? Never broken through the brush that hid her from Vamdemon and PicoDevimon? Would she have escaped without being seen? Or was this inevitable? She couldn’t figure out how they could’ve defeated Vamdemon-sama anyway. His power outstripped theirs so very much. What’s more, the Dark Masters had lurked in the shadowy recesses of the world, all unknown to the children they’d been. Sooner or later they would’ve fallen. The only difference was who did the deed. 

At least now, they were alive. Somewhat. That might not have been so under other circumstances. 

She didn’t waste much more of her time on introspection and wondering what might’ve been. The closer she and Mimi came to one of the doors, the stronger the humans’ scent became, and the more she could hear them whispering to one another. She guessed they had no idea of how sharp a vampire’s hearing could be, else they wouldn’t have bothered trying to talk at all. 

Sora pressed her fingers against Mimi’s arm and jerked her head toward the door. Both of them moved a little more quickly, positioning themselves on each side of the door. This maze had been set up for situations just like this, though Vamdemon-sama hadn’t used it for two or three years, as pickings for proper hunts grew slimmer and slimmer. It still wasn’t the best, but it would do for the moment. 

The two vampires remained silent as only they could, waiting, not even bothering to breathe. Long moments passed, and Sora could all but smell the tension rising higher for the humans. For the vampires, this only enhanced the experience. The more fear, the more pain, the more stress, the better the blood tasted. 

With only the barest hint of footsteps as warning, the door slammed open, and the two humans burst out into the hall, each holding a makeshift stake. Sora expected that; there were chairs in the various rooms meant for just such attempts. Vamdemon-sama had taught them years ago how to handle this. 

One of them charged toward her, arm raised high. Sora ducked underneath it and slammed the flat of her hand against the wanna-be attacker’s chest, sending him spinning backwards. She prowled after him, every step patient. He’d kept hold of the stake, slowly starting to raise it again as she drew nearer. 

“We’re not going to let you keep on doing this.” He stared at her, trying to scramble to his feet, but not able to get them under him. She’d broken bones when she’d hit him, not enough to kill him, but enough so she knew he was in pain. “This is our world.” 

She smiled and took his wrist in one hand, snapping it with a single flex of her arm. “Not anymore.” She pulled him closer and sank her fangs into his neck, the blood rushing into her mouth right away. Just as she’d hoped, full of delicious fear and rage and pain. 

Sora turned as she drank, her prey still held in her arms, and enjoyed the sight of Mimi dining on her own captive. Warmth thrummed all through her to see Mimi’s fangs buried so deeply into the neck, feasting on the blood that brought them the only life they could have now. 

Far too soon, at least in Sora’s opinion, both of their meals lay cold and dead in their arms. Sora heaved hers over one shoulder. “Where do you want these?” There were different methods of dealing with their leavings; Sora preferred to give hers to Mimi. Humans made excellent food, both alive and dead. 

“I’ll show you.” Mimi hoisted her own and headed out of the castle and back to the garden area. The two of them walked in step, their burdens far beyond what a pair of ordinary pre-teens would’ve been thought capable of handling. Neither of them was close to being ordinary, nor ever would be again. 

Sora wondered what it would be like if she held Mimi’s hand as they walked. While human ideas of love and romance were concepts far lost to them, there were some concepts that were universal nevertheless, and the idea of a long-term companionship that was different from what they shared with their master or Taichi or Jou had been slowly growing on Sora for the last few months. 

So it was with a hint of nervousness that she reached out to take Mimi’s cool hand. The other looked up at her, a breath of curiosity written across her features, and Sora smiled at her in what she hoped was a reassuring manner. 

Mimi slowly returned the smile, and hand in hand, they carried the remains of their meal to the garden’s compost heap. 

**To Be Continued**


	12. The Beginning

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 12: The Beginning  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,733||story: 31,992  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** Mimi x Sora/Sora x Mimi still exists, though they don't show up in this chapter. Mentions of vampirism throughout the story, as well as violence and death.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

Jun absolutely refused to let anyone around her get the idea that she in any way worried about her younger brother. He was eighteen; if the world had remained anything sane, he would’ve been legally adult and capable of being responsible for himself. 

Well, legally, anyway. Jun doubted that even in a world that wasn’t the twisted mess they had to live in that Daisuke could ever _completely_ take care of himself. But that wasn’t the world they lived in, and she didn’t worry about him. At all. Ever. 

Which was, of course, why she positioned herself on guard duty near his usual entrance and kept her eyes pinned to the monitor system. The cameras were set up to look like little more than trash or tree branches or sometimes rocks or debris, all carefully arranged not to draw attention to themselves, on the off-chance that someone came through with a mind to do a little cleaning up. 

No one really expected that to happen. Their entrances and exits were always set up in areas that the vampires and Digimon weren’t likely to want for themselves, giving them a better chance to remain hidden. 

The quiet sound of a door clicking behind her and footsteps moving toward her didn’t distract her from her observation. She’d be a poor guard if that could happen, and Jun enjoyed guard duty. It gave her a chance to relax, since very little tended to happen near the doors. All the fun events were elsewhere. 

“He’s not back yet?” Miyako drummed her fingers on one the tables, and Jun didn’t have to look at her to know the expression on her face. Exasperated and annoyed, since Daisuke had once again taken out the crossbow she’d designed. If that broke, she didn’t know if Miyako had the supplies to make a second one. 

Not that Daisuke gave a single thought to that if it came to putting a bolt through Vamdemon’s heart, or that of one of the pack. Though the head vampire would forever be his most prominent target. And she didn’t blame him one bit. She’d do the same thing if she had the chance. 

“Not yet.” She peered a bit closer at one of the monitors for a few moments, then shook her head. Nothing more than a stray cat. Which was rare enough in and of itself; few wild animals survived in the remains of the cities these days. This one seemed to be doing well for itself, since it was slender instead of bone-thin. Lucky beast. 

Miyako sighed and threw herself down into one of the other chairs. “He’s going to get himself killed one of these days. Or worse, caught.” 

Jun’s hands clenched at the thought of Daisuke caught by the vampires. He’d survived it once, and escaped by what she still called sheerest dumb luck, and to have it happen _again_ , when they were just building themselves into a position where they could strike back? That would be worse than a nightmare. It would bring everything they’d fought for collapsing around them. 

“He knows how to stay away from them.” Jun kept her voice calm. She didn’t think she could’ve done that when she was younger and shrieked with joy at the slightest sight of a popular actor or musician. 

“I know he knows how. Is he going to want to, until he can actually pull off a kill?” 

_She’s right._ Jun knew Daisuke as well as anyone else, and until he managed to kill a vampire, he’d find a way to go out as often as he could. He’d probably keep doing it even after he killed one, until they were all gone. 

When she said nothing out loud, Miyako nodded, lounging back in the chair. It didn’t look comfortable, being a cobbled together seat made half of wood and half of metal, beaten into suitable condition with hammers and prayers, but she did it anyway. 

“I need to go out and look for more materials if he’s going to keep taking the crossbow.” Miyako tilted her head up so she stared at the ceiling. “Just in case.” 

She didn’t say what she meant by that. Jun had her own thoughts on the matter, which coursed from ‘in case my idiot brother breaks or loses the one we have before he gets himself killed or caught’ to ‘in case he actually manages to kill a vampire with it, which means we’d need to get more because they’re actually useful against them’. Of course, Miyako could just want more crossbows either way. She didn’t howl with bloodlust, but Jun suspected that was because howling was a very good way to get all of their enemies after them, and Miyako wasn’t stupid enough to want to do that. 

“Talk to Ken or Osamu about it. They should be able to give you some good pointers.” Between the two of them, they knew where almost all of the usable trash and materials were. What was left of them anyway; it was getting harder and harder to find anything they could get without someone noticing. 

All the vampires’ fault, of course, and the Digimon. Jun remembered vividly the day it all began, when what had begun as something she hadn’t believed, thinking it was just people in costumes causing trouble, turned into a nightmare that the world had yet to wake up from. 

She could never forget that day. Though there were times she wanted to. 

* * *

“Jun! Daisuke!” Motomiya Ariko slammed the door closed hard, leaning up against it even as she slammed all the locks shut. “Get in here!” 

Jun didn’t even want to look up from her magazine. She’d heard all kinds of interesting things about her favorite musician and this article promised to tell everything. “Whatever it is, I didn’t do it, Daisuke did!” 

“I did not!” Daisuke stomped his foot, shaking his head at the same time. “I didn’t do anything!” 

“Get in here!” Mrs. Motomiya snapped the command out, and the siblings looked at one another, each as confused as the other, before they headed into the living room. 

Their mother still pressed herself against the door, and Jun noticed quicker than her brother: she was ghost-pale. She’d never seen Mom looking like that before, not even when Dad got into that train accident and broke his arm. 

“Mom? What is it?” Jun took a careful step closer, eyes darting this way and that. “Is Dad all right?” She hadn’t heard anything about any accidents, but maybe there’d been a phone call or someone had come to the door and she’d missed it… 

Ariko drew in one sharp breath, then another. “I don’t know. He’s still at work. But I don’t want either of you going near the doors or the windows.” Her gaze flicked behind them, and Jun glanced over to see the broad window of the living room, giving them a rather nice view of the city itself. 

There were things moving around out there. They didn’t look right, but they weren’t close enough for her to figure out why. Jun frowned, starting to move closer to get a better look, when her mother moved past her and quickly shut the curtains. 

“Don’t look. Don’t go near them. Go to your rooms and stay out of sight.” 

“Mom!” Daisuke stamped his foot again, quivering with curiosity. “What is it? What’s going on?” His eyes suddenly grew round with childish delight. “Is it monsters? Is it aliens? Are we being _invaded_?” 

Before her brother had been born and eventually developed a personality, Jun hadn’t known what it meant to want to facepalm. Before he reached the age of six, she’d set a personal record for how often she wanted to do just that. Momoe hadn’t told her that being an older sister came with moments like that, and there were times she wanted to deny her best friend privileges for withholding the information. 

“Daisuke, be quiet, please.” His mother offered a weak smile, and Jun wasn’t deceived one bit. _Something_ was going on, and while she didn’t know what it was, she knew her mother was terrified. 

Before the older woman could stop her, Jun darted over to the television and turned it on, scanning for the nearest news channel. She knew most of them by heart, if only by what she wanted to avoid, and landed on one quickly. Now all she could hope for was that they were carrying something that would shed a little light on this situation. 

“Jun.” Her mother reached for the remote control and Jun pulled it away from her, shooting a sharp look at her. 

“Whatever’s going on, hiding from it isn’t going to make it not happen.” She’d learned that from reading as much as she could about her favorite stars. Besides, if Daisuke were that excited about it, the sooner they found out the truth, the sooner he’d actually calm down. 

Before her mother could say anything else about it, the news anchor appeared on the screen, wearing the usual practiced smile that those of her profession the world over perfected before they were ever allowed on-screen. 

“Something strange has been going on in downtown Odaiba since this morning,” the anchor began, but Jun quickly stopped listening in favor of watching the video itself. 

Monsters. Dozens of them, perhaps even hundreds of them. She couldn’t count them all, and stopped trying after the first few minutes. A cold ache centered itself in her heart and she glanced at her mother, who stared at the screen with a lost and confused look in her eyes. 

Jun still wasn’t entirely certain of what was going on, but what she did see, she didn’t like at all. She didn’t want to think the things she saw on the screen were real, especially not with the way Daisuke squealed and stared at them. If they were real, then they were all in a lot of trouble, and she didn’t want trouble. She wanted to finish her magazine and read the next one and call up Momoe and chat about the latest cute boys they’d both seen and what the chances were that she’d ever fill every inch of her special autograph T-shirt with names. 

Her mother’s voice whispered in her ear, soft and terrified. “I saw some of them outside in the streets. They’re coming this way.” 

Jun tensed, eyes flicking to the curtained window, part of her wanting to yank it aside and stare the danger in the face, just to make it go away that much faster. That had worked with her fears of the monster that lived under the bed. She’d spent weeks getting out of bed every night after her parents closed the door and stared at the bed until she knew nothing was under there at all. 

“What are they? Where did they come from?” What did they want? Questions that she’d heard in a dozen monster movies and this time there weren’t any convenient answers. 

The building shook. It was too well-made to hear anyone from outside, but Jun stifled a shriek of her own as ornaments and books fell from shelves and she had to struggle to stay on her feet. Again the building shook, harder than the first time, and now sounds _could_ be heard, shrieks of fright spiraling higher and higher. 

“Mommy!” Daisuke clung to his mother with an eight-year-old’s death grip and Jun kind of wished she could do the same. She wasn’t sure if Daisuke thought he was protecting Mom from the monsters or being protected from them, and she really had other things to think about right now anyway. 

“We should get out of here.” Jun wasn’t sure why the building was shaking, only that it hadn’t stopped, and it didn’t feel like an earthquake. She’d gone through a couple of those before, and this just wasn’t like them. 

Mrs. Motomiya hesitated only for a few moments before she nodded and hurried as best she could down to her bedroom. Jun followed, going the extra few steps to her own, and threw what she could into a bag, even as the shakes continued, and strange cries came from outside, cries she didn’t understand even though they were in clear Japanese. 

She wanted to look out and see what was going on, and started to reach for one window, when glass suddenly exploded inward, and she caught a little glimpse of gleaming white feathers that weren’t like any swan she’d seen in her life. 

“Jun!” Her mother’s voice cracked sharply and she didn’t waste any time. She’d probably get a better view from outside anyway, if they could get out there in one piece. 

She took just enough time to grab a few things for Daisuke, mostly changes of clothes, and his favorite soccer ball, something that would keep him occupied. 

Her mother unlocked and opened the door carefully, taking her time to make certain that if anything was out there, it wouldn’t notice them. She needn’t have taken the trouble; there were enough people screaming and running up and down the hallways that they easily blended in once they left the apartment. 

They’d never seen the apartment building again. Half an hour after they’d left it, the building hadn’t been there for them to return to anyway. 

A month after they left it, the city as they’d known it hadn’t been there at all. 

* * *

Jun breathed in, trying not to focus on the whirlwind of memories that shot through her mind. She didn’t think about that day too often. She had too much to do usually to worry about it, much less about the events _after_ that. Surviving took precedence over everything else. 

Miyako’s fingers pressed into her shoulder suddenly, and Jun’s attention snapped to the monitors, wanting to make certain she hadn’t missed anything while caught up in her memories. 

“Is something there?” She murmured the words as softly as she could. Miyako didn’t answer, only peered harder at the screens from over her shoulder, and Jun checked again. 

Something _was_ moving around there. She couldn’t tell what it was; he, she, it, or otherwise – one couldn’t always be certain with Digimon – seemed to be good at hiding just where it was. But not the fact it was there at all. Wind dusted over dry leaves and trash, sending them swirling past the monitors, and Jun’s own fingers clenched on her chair arms. No one had ever made it this close to one of their entrances. 

Their standard protocol demanded that at least one person be in the area to make certain nothing went wrong. Digimon could die, or be reformatted, she didn’t know what the technical term was, and now wasn’t the time to quibble about it. They’d never managed to kill one themselves, but they’d seen it happen, usually at the hands of Vamdemon himself. 

“Is anyone out there now?” Jun wished Daisuke had stayed closer to the entrance, just for something like this. But he listened to himself more than here. That wasn’t likely to change any time soon, and she hadn’t made up her mind on if she wanted it to. 

“Ken’s in the area.” 

Oh. Well, that didn’t surprise her. She leaned forward and flicked one finger over the communications system, sending a soft frazzle of static across to him. 

Well, ‘communications system’ was really a fancy word for something that was little more than a slightly more complex walkie-talkie in her opinion. Osamu and Miyako had worked on it together and it generally worked. Daisuke never bothered to take a headset with him when he left, not wanting to get distracted when he was hunting. She reserved her special smacks for him whenever something he should’ve known about and would have if he’d had a headset on him happened while he was out. 

“Ken, be on the alert. There’s something in the area. Could be a Digimon. We can’t really see it.” 

“Right.” Ken’s reply was terse and to the point; the less time he spent talking, the more time he could spend finding out what was going on. 

Jun watched the screen; whatever was going on, she couldn’t help but be worried. Her brother was out there somewhere, and if he’d gotten himself caught up in this, whatever it was, she needed to know. 

**To Be Continued**


	13. The Trip

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 13: The Trip  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,676||story: 34,668  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** Mimi x Sora/Sora x Mimi still exists, though they don't show up in this chapter. Mentions of vampirism throughout the story, as well as violence and death.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

LadyDevimon didn’t know how much time passed after Wizarmon departed before another set of footsteps made their way down the stairs and to the door. This was one set she recognized as easily as her own breathing, and she rose to her feet as the door swung open. 

“Vamdemon-sama.” She bent her head, a faint flicker of tension tightening all through her. “What can I do for you?” 

The vampire moved forward to where he could look at Hikari, not answering her just yet. LadyDevimon’s gaze shifted slightly toward her charge, and she breathed a faint mental sigh of relief that the girl didn’t look very interested in anything at the moment. She lay on her cot, staring up at the ceiling, not showing any sign that she’d even noticed her chief captor’s arrival. 

“And how have matters been here?” Vamdemon asked at last. LadyDevimon shifted to attention a bit more at the question. 

“Everything has been quiet, my lord.” Even those few questions Hikari asked made it too quiet, and that knowledge forever wrenched at her heart, no matter how often she told herself that it shouldn’t. She shouldn’t care about Hikari. The girl was only a task, a job. But no matter how often she told herself that, the truth never changed: she was more. 

Vamdemon nodded, his gaze still on the girl. “I noticed that Wizarmon came to visit you.” 

“He does that on occasion.” LadyDevimon shrugged, truly not understanding why. Those faint memories from long ago, when she was merely Tailmon and still didn’t understand her place in the world, didn’t make much sense to her. She avoided thinking about them as much as she could, in favor of matters she understood better. “I don’t know why.” 

The master of Earth nodded again before he turned to look at her head-on. “Is there anything that you require here?” 

LadyDevimon considered that. She didn’t need much. She kept a supply of books on hand just to give herself something to do when Hikari slept and she herself wasn’t tired. She was provided with the best food available, which she preferred to eat when Hikari couldn’t see her. 

“I would like to…” When she realized what she was about to ask, she tensed more than ever. She’d never asked for anything like this before, but now that the idea had struck her, she knew she had to at least _try_. Doing otherwise was unthinkable. 

“Yes?” Vamdemon’s eyebrow quirked a trifle, and LadyDevimon steeled herself. At worst he would say no and all would continue as it had before. 

“I would like to take the girl out for a flight. Not for very long, only a few hours, and we wouldn’t leave the confines of the city.” She scrambled quickly for other words that would make this more acceptable to her master. “I think seeing the world as it is now would help to keep her as obedient as she’s been.” 

It would give her fresher air than here in the dungeon. It would show her that the world still existed outside of this place. Perhaps she might even see a few stray humans going about what muddled business they might still have. 

She kept her features as calm as she could, not wanting to betray how much she also wanted to get out for herself, to see what the world was like now, to just _fly_ and touch the sky. Some part of her forever whispered that flight was her fate and the skies her right, and staying down here forever with Hikari was wrong. 

She needed to be up there with Hikari, and she would find a way to do it. 

Vamdemon appeared to be giving her request consideration, and she fought back every ounce of glee and hope that wanted to surge through her when he didn’t immediately turn her down. She _wanted_ this; wanted it as she could not remember wanting anything else in her entire life. 

_Someone I’m looking for, someone who needs me, someone who I was always supposed to be with…_

She blinked only for a moment and thought she could see Hikari as she’d been years earlier, a hopeful and happy child, unaware of the years of isolation that lay ahead of her. She didn’t let it distract her. Distractions could mean she didn’t get permission. It could not happen like that. 

“Very well.” Vamdemon said at last, and LadyDevimon held herself back from a very undignified squeal of joy. Instead, she bent her head gracefully. 

“Thank you, Vamdemon-sama.” She wondered how humans would react to a gift like this being given, and decided it was better she didn’t know. Vamdemon considered humans nothing more than food or slaves. Or both at the same time. Only Digimon, or his pack, were worth more in his eyes. 

He nodded, still looking at her, and she tensed more. “Return within four hours. Make certain she speaks to no one, human or Digimon, save you. Tell no one _who_ she is. Keep up high; there could be danger closer to the ground.” 

She’d expected nothing less and nodded once more. “As you wish, Vamdemon-sama.” If it meant she could take Hikari outside, then she would agree to almost anything. She wondered what season it was meant to be and if the girl would need a jacket; didn’t humans get cold at times? She hadn’t seen enough of them to know, but what information had filtered in from the Chosen’s trip before Vamdemon’s defeat had included something to that extent. It had been quite some time since she’d read that. 

The vampire turned and left without another word. As soon as the door closed behind him, Hikari sat up and looked at her, faint hints of interest sparking in the back of her eyes. 

“Why did you ask for that?” She murmured, keeping her voice low enough that LadyDevimon herself barely heard her. 

“You heard what I told him.” LadyDevimon fought even harder to keep her expression neutral. If Vamdemon had learned of her true reasons, then they could both be killed. If Hikari learned, it would be even worse. The girl could _never_ know that…she could just never know. Never. 

Hikari said nothing, only kept on looking at her, and LadyDevimon decided it was better to get moving. It only took a few moments to get ready; neither of them had anything to change into. They would have to risk how chilly it was. Getting Hikari out of the cell and up the steps took only a few more moments. The girl breathed a little faster as the concept of actually _going outside_ became something more of a reality, and LadyDevimon couldn’t fault her one moment. She felt the same way, imagining what it would be like to feel the winds once more. 

She knew of the changes Vamdemon’s rule had imposed on the world, and had seen them to some extent during previous trips spent with Hikari being displayed as the last Chosen. But the sight of dark, starless skies and winds that held little life to them still struck a pang deep on the Digimon’s heart. 

“This was… my home?” Hikari murmured the words, recalling as well as LadyDevimon did Vamdemon’s orders. LadyDevimon carefully lifted her into her arms. 

“Your home is here now.” The difference in meaning didn’t escape either of them. This world would never be the same again, no matter what might happen. Everyone, human and Digimon, needed to accept that. 

She wondered, even as she took to the air, what sort of danger Vamdemon meant could be ‘close to the ground’. It would have to be human; there were plenty of flying Digimon, so if it were a danger from them, it could come from anywhere. And there weren’t any Digimon who could pose a threat to her regardless. She doubted there were any humans who could, but they might _think_ they could, and they would most definitely be able to kill Hikari anyway. 

That, she would not allow, under any circumstances. Anyone who lifted a hand against her charge would find out exactly how powerful a Perfect-level Digimon actually was. 

But she didn’t worry herself about that much now. Instead, she lifted them higher and higher as they coursed out of the castle boundaries and into what had once been a city of some size. Or perhaps it had been a district. LadyDevimon hadn’t bothered herself to learn the terms as they’d once been used by humans, and they didn’t really matter anyway. All she wanted to know was that she was in the area deemed safe for their trip. 

Hikari clung to her, eyes large and round as she stared at the castle rapidly receding into the distance, and at everything else that filled her vision with each passing moments. Trees, some still tall, though their leaves had long since fallen, turning them into barren twigs reaching up against skies that held no light, poked here and there. Buildings and the remains of buildings stretched out in every direction. Moss crept over the ruins and surviving structures alike, lending everything a half-dead air. Once in a while, a few vermin crept here and there, notable more by the few sounds they made, small claws against broken stone than being seen. 

Something wet dampened LadyDevimon’s arm and she looked up at first, wondering if it rained. But the shadows held no clouds for that, and it was another moment before she realized what was going on. 

Hikari wept. 

“Child?” Oh, how she wanted to use the girl’s name, to remind her of her own identity. But she _could not_. 

“I think…I think I remember…a little.” Her grip tightened on LadyDevimon’s arm. “I don’t think I lived here…I can’t tell. But I…it shouldn’t look like this.” 

LadyDevimon held her closer, the tears still dripping down, scorching the Digimon to the depths of her soul. She didn’t say anything. She wasn’t certain if she could. She couldn’t remember if this was where Hikari had once lived or not, and she’d long taught herself that it didn’t matter. 

“Do you want to go back?” They’d scarcely been out a full hour yet. Hikari shook her head at the question, and LadyDevimon nodded, carrying her onward. 

Keeping to the rules Vamdemon had set still gave them a large amount of territory to explore. LadyDevimon made certain to keep them away from the stretches of land occupied by human slaves, dedicated to raising food for more human slaves. She didn’t want Hikari to shed more tears over her fellow humans working like this, and she didn’t want them to get any ideas about why one of Vamdemon’s servants carried a small human around with her. They saw enough if one of the pack decided to keep a blood pet for a while. 

Tiny teeth of curiosity nibbled at her as they traveled, though, and LadyDevimon found herself keeping a sharp eye out for anything that might cause her or any other Digimon trouble. Something about that wiggled and fretted in the back of her mind, mostly driven out by being able to take Hikari out, but not truly forgotten. 

Somewhere in the middle of the journey, when they ghosted over the top of a tall building that had once held hundreds of human families, the thought slid itself into the proper place in her mind, and it was all LadyDevimon could do to make certain she kept a firm grip on her charge. 

_There was an attack. On one of the pack. Somewhere out here._ Wizarmon had mentioned it! He’d made as if to brush it off, presenting it as nothing very important, and she’d not paid attention to it. If she had, she wasn’t certain if she would’ve asked for this trip until after she’d known Vamdemon and the pack had taken care of the matter. 

And yet Vamdemon allowed them out anyway. A faint thread of worry wound itself all around her. Did he hope that she would disobey orders and one or both of them would end up dead? 

No, it couldn’t be. If she died, then he would’ve lost his precious prisoner, and if Hikari died, he lost her altogether, the walking evidence, aside from the pack, that he’d won. He must have trusted to her skills as a warrior to keep them both alive, and warned her about keeping away from the low-lying areas. As disinterested as Hikari was in everything in general, he still wouldn’t have spoken of a human attack. She was never to know such matters even happened, and Wizarmon had risked much to speak of it at all. 

But now she knew, and now she kept a sharper eye out for what was going on around them. There were movements, usually in the darkest areas between buildings or underneath the remnants of trees and bushes, and once she thought she caught an actual glimpse of a human, but before she could be certain, whoever it was, if it was anyone at all, ducked away out of sight at all. 

_What would I do if I found one?_ She would defend Hikari if one attacked, but what to do about those who simply cowered away? Leaving them be seemed the most sensible option. They weren’t able to cause any problems if they didn’t attack. 

“We need to go back.” They still had a little less than an hour before their allotted time passed, but it would still take time to get back to the castle. Perhaps if they did well this time, they could go out again later. Not very often; Hikari’s punishment kept her from being allowed to interact at all with other humans, and to be kept away from them all as much as possible. But perhaps once a week or so would be enough to satisfy Vamdemon’s requirements. 

Hikari said nothing, only tightened her hands just a little on LadyDevimon’s arm. Her tears no longer dropped, for which the Digimon found herself grateful. She didn’t want to explain them to anyone. 

LadyDevimon raised them just a little higher, enough so the wind of their passing kicked up a few leaves and no more. Most humans who would be on the ground would think of it as nothing more than a slight breeze. 

It was little more than a movement somewhere off to the left, as they passed over an area that looked to have once been some sort of playground. LadyDevimon would’ve ignored it altogether, if the breeze that she followed hadn’t brought the faint scent of humans to her nostrils. While her senses couldn’t compare to those of some other Digimon, especially with all of her time spent guarding Hikari, that was an aroma she knew quite well, and coupled with the faint sound of a foot scraping as whoever it was moved out of sight, or tried to, she did not doubt at all that there was a human there. 

Hikari glanced that way the same moment that she did, attracted by something LadyDevimon didn’t know. Perhaps she’d heard that footstep as well, or caught the movement. But LadyDevimon’s grip tightened in caution. She could not let this human harm Hikari. 

She meant to speed up, to hurry their return and thus make certain her charge remained safe. But before she could gather herself enough to do so, Hikari did something she almost never did. 

“Hello.” She lifted herself up and spoke, directing her words to the curve of shadow created by two fallen trees braced against one another. “Who are you?” 

LadyDevimon didn’t have the language skills that some of her fellow Digimon did. But she invented several new curse words in the few moments before the shape in the shadows moved forward, just a fraction, just enough so they could see the human that stood there. Wonder and confusion lit his expression as he stared at them both, far enough away that an attack wouldn’t be easy for either of them. 

“Ichijouji Ken.” 

**To Be Continued**


	14. The Plans

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 14: The Plans  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,709||story: 37,377  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** Mimi x Sora/Sora x Mimi still exists, though they don't show up in this chapter. Mentions of vampirism throughout the story, as well as violence and death.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

It took Wizarmon a few moments to realize the scream that came from whoever he’d just set on fire wasn’t a human’s scream. In fact, he thought he recognized that voice, and he paled behind his mask. If that was who he thought it was, then if he made it out of this in one piece, he was going to be _very_ lucky, and after all this time hidden within Vamdemon’s army, he thought he’d used up all of his luck anyway. 

Taichi landed next to him, leaning forward to get a better look at the person swatting themselves all over in an attempt to put the flames out. Wizarmon did his best to extinguish them as well, ignoring the large amount of profanity coming from the other Digimon. 

“What’s going on here? Who goes around throwing fireballs at perfectly innocent Digimon?” The voice was just as Wizarmon remembered it from their few encounters back home, harsh and annoyed with life in general. From what little information he’d had, the new arrival had every right to be annoyed. 

“Whoa…is that you, Pinnochimon?” Taichi shook his head as the wisps of smoke finally cleared, revealing the Dark Master standing there. 

Or, if all the reports were true, _former_ Dark Master. But still a powerful Digimon, and one with something of a hair trigger, and no qualms about killing anyone who got in his way. 

Pinnochimon glared at both of them. “You know, I should smash you into the pavement for this.” His hand already rested on his mallet, and Wizarmon prepared to back off at a moment’s notice. 

“Pinnochimon-sama, I humbly beg your forgiveness.” Wizarmon bowed as low as he could, still tense and ready to take off if he needed to, but exposing the back of his head at the same time in a show of submission. “I meant no harm to you at all.” 

“You set me on fire.” Pinnochimon’s glare burned at Wizarmon, as clearly as if he looked up to see it. “How is that ‘not meaning any harm’?” 

Wizarmon winced and lowered himself even more. He couldn’t see Taichi’s expression, but he firmly believed the vampire was laughing, inwardly if nothing else. He hoped he kept his mouth shut and let him work through this. 

“It was a complete accident. Taichi and I have been sent out to locate a human who is attempting to…” How to describe this? Finally get rid of the vampire pack? Start trying to take back their world? Well, perhaps… “attack the members of Vamdemon-sama’s pack. A crossbow was used a few days ago and we’ve been searching for the user since.” 

Pinnochimon snorted, and Wizarmon took that as a chance to keep going. “I heard your footsteps and thought that it might be who we were searching for.” 

“Well, next time, use your eyes first.” Pinnochimon snapped, wooden arms folded over his chest. “Do I look like some dumb human to you?” 

“Of course not, my lord.” Wizarmon carefully began to straighten himself up. He refused to look at Taichi, not wanting to see the expression he knew had to be there. “I would never mistake you for a human.” 

Pinnochimon snorted again and Wizarmon began to relax a fraction at that. “Is there something that we can do for you, Pinnochimon-sama? No one knew that you were visiting.” Not that visits tended to be announced, but Vamdemon would’ve wanted to show off his domination of the human world to anyone with contacts to Piemon, and he would’ve heard about _that_. 

“Yeah, that’s because I’m not visiting. I’m staying here.” The wooden Digimon glared at the two of them. “And I don’t need Vamdemon’s help to do it, either.” 

Taichi strolled up, amusement flickering all over his pale features, and for once, Wizarmon didn’t think all of it was because of himself. “Master will want to know that you’re here. He likes keeping track of people who come into his kingdom.” 

“Do I look like I care what about that bloodsucker wants?” Pinnochimon shifted his grip on his mallet, and before he could move, Taichi hovered in the air, his lips twisted into a mocking grin that showed his fangs. 

“You might not, but Vamdemon-sama rules this world, which means if you want to stay here, you’ve got to do it by his rules. _Piemon-sama_ said as much, remember?” 

“Well, I’m not playing by his rules either anymore!” Pinnochimon snapped the words out even as he started to bring his mallet down. Taichi darted out of the way, and Wizarmon moved as well, not wanting to risk getting caught by the backlash. “So I don’t care _what_ he thinks! I’m just as good as he is!” 

Wizarmon tensed as he found a spill of ruined building to perch on. Taichi landed on the other side of what had once been a street of some kind, he guessed. Now wasn’t the time to try to put the city back together, even in his head. “Pinnochimon-sama?” He knew the rumors, but exactly what had happened was a mystery to virtually everyone on this side of the gate. 

The rumors and reports, vague as they were to him, told that Pinnochimon had somehow angered Piemon in a way that no one could agree upon, and in vengeance, the dark clown had cast him out of the Dark Masters, installing Black Rosemon in his place. That much everything agreed on, and no more. 

Wizarmon wondered what else there was to it, but Pinnochimon didn’t appear to be in any kind of a mood to discuss it at the moment, not with the glares he shot both of them. 

“Just leave me alone and that’s all I care about.” He shouldered his mallet and stalked off, not looking at either one of them again and soon fading out of sight into the distance. 

Taichi tilted his head and shot a look of his own over to Wizarmon. “I don’t think I’ve seen anyone that childish since my sister was three years old.” 

Wizarmon refused to let himself react to that. Everyone _knew_ that Yagami Taichi and Yagami Hikari were, or had been, brother and sister, but Taichi himself almost never mentioned her, and certainly not in the context of being family. 

The vampire shrugged, taking off into the air once more. “I don’t think we’re going to find that human out here tonight. If we got lucky, Pinnochimon swatted him before he showed up here. Or might get him later, who knows. Too bad, I wanted him for myself.” He made something of a face. “Vamdemon-sama will want us back out here until we know one way or the other, though.” 

“Yes, he will.” Wizarmon fought to keep his voice neutral. Playing matters as he did put more and more of a stress on him, and he needed some time to himself, just to _be_ himself. “Let me know when and I’ll be ready.” 

“Right. I’m going to get something to eat.” Taichi didn’t wave, but sped away, looking here and there as he did in search of any stray humans. Wizarmon doubted there were any in the area, but a vampire would check nevertheless. He’d probably end up dining out of the pen back at the castle. 

Wizarmon bit back a sigh and let himself sink down a little, some of the strain easing out of his shoulders and back as he did. He needed to go home as well, and find himself some form of nourishment. He couldn’t go see LadyDevimon again, but he did have several other matters he could tend to. Any of them would keep him occupied for days on end. 

Weariness dragging at him, he pulled himself into the air and headed back to the castle. He would have to recover as soon as he could. His meeting with the humans of the resistance wasn’t that far off, and if Pinnochimon had decided to move here in truth and wasn’t just spouting off nonsense, then the sooner the humans managed to get into fighting condition, the better. 

* * *

Pinnochimon grumped and muttered under his breath as he stomped his way through the ruined city streets. He hadn’t asked for a map, nor did he really care where he was going in the first place. He just wanted to find a place where he could have his own people to boss around and not have to worry about anyone trying to take what was rightfully his away from him. 

He kind of liked this place, even if it was dark, grungy, and didn’t have anyone around at all. What it also didn’t have were plants, and he didn’t like plants, not as much as he had once. Not that he had a green thumb or whatever, but he’d held dominion over the woodlands of the Digital World, and that meant he got to know a lot of plant Digimon. 

There weren’t any of those here. A few trees scattered here and there, moss and grass sticking up from points in the street, struggling to survive without sunlight, and some of them doing a decent job of it. He kicked at one patch a little, making sure to get it uprooted, then tossed it as far as he could. “Yeah, see how you like that!” 

Piemon would’ve called him a fool for it. Pinnochimon saw another clump of weeds and tore into it even faster than he had the first one, throwing it in another direction. The very thought of the clown Digimon sent sparks of rage through him and he wished that he could see the Dark Masters’ leader in front of him right now. 

_I’d smash him. I’d smash him right in that stupid mask of his and keep right on hitting!_

His magical threads couldn’t control Piemon; he’d found that out the hard way. But his mallet could still hurt him, and when he got the chance, he would make certain that he _did_ hurt Piemon, over and over and over, until there was nothing but an egg left, and then he’d smash that, as many times as he needed to until Piemon didn’t exist at all! 

He tilted his head back and laughed at the thought, a good, deep, rich laugh that echoed from his lonely surroundings, and for a few brief seconds, he forgot that he was alone at all. 

When he remembered, more rage twisted and festered and he seized hold of his mallet, dashing with it upraised until he ran into the nearest building, smashing it with all of his strength. The building, clearly not at its best even before his attack, shuddered, shivered, and fell into a pile of stone and mortar. Pinnochimon growled; couldn’t anything give him even a little satisfaction here? 

He darted after another building, and another, smashing each of them into bits. 

No matter how often he tried, nothing even came close to soothing the empty hole within himself. 

* * *

Wizarmon took only enough time to find Vamdemon and report to him what happened during the mission. Taichi still hadn’t returned, taking his lazy time, so Wizarmon made certain to report Pinnochimon’s presence, and what he’d said, keeping everything as neutral as he could. He hated politics. He hated getting involved in politics even more. 

And most of all, he hated getting involved in politics between Vamdemon and the Dark Masters. For the most part, the two arenas kept separated, each to their own world, and when Vamdemon and Piemon crossed paths, it was always with the greatest respect for one another, insofar as either of them ever respected anyone else. 

As always, other rumors flew about the level of their alliance, but that was something Wizarmon chose not to touch on at all. There were things he didn’t want to know, and there were things he would’ve given his staff to never even think about. 

“I see.” Vamdemon appeared a little distracted when Wizarmon first appeared to make his report, but the moment Wizarmon spoke of Pinnochimon, his attention sharpened. “Good enough. I want you and Taichi out there as often as possible until this hunter is found and brought to me.” A smile slashed over his lips. “Alive. Make certain Taichi doesn’t attempt to have him for a meal.” 

“As you command, Vamdemon-sama.” Wizarmon bowed at once, quite glad that he was only moments away from relaxing in his room. He’d had enough of bowing down to Digimon he hated for one day. 

Vamdemon dismissed him, and Wizarmon hurried off, taking the time to head into the kitchens and get something to eat. He’d used more of his energy today than he normally did and with the added stress of encountering Pinnochimon, he felt he deserved a little something extra. 

Settling himself into his quarters, he made certain to lock the door and put up every kind of ward he had the strength for. He didn’t want to be interrupted for anything tonight short of the absolute destruction of the world or worlds and the way he was feeling, he wasn’t especially bothered if that happened either. He settled in with his food and his favorite book of spells, taking mental notes for skills he might be able to use in the future. 

* * *

Vamdemon knew for a fact that Piemon hadn’t had any idea of where Pinnochimon could’ve run off to. If he had, then the dark clown would’ve said something during his last visit, and Vamdemon recalled every moment of that with crystal clarity. 

_I knew he was pouting over what happened with Black Rosemon, but to come here? Why?_ There would be no carving out of his own territory in this world. Earth belonged to Vamdemon, and he’d gone to a great deal of trouble to make certain that it stayed that way. 

He would send a message; someone would have to come deal with the pesky puppet and set him firmly in his place. It didn’t matter if that place were Earth or the Digital World, so long as he understood where he was in relation to everyone else. 

That still left the problem of the unknown hunter in place. Sending Taichi and Wizarmon out again stood a chance of finding the renegade human, but it was a risk he wasn’t fond of. He’d spent years crafting all of his pack into what they were now, and he’d not lose any of them to some fool human thinking a vampire could be so easily defeated. Their foolish books and movies might’ve told them of stakes and sunlight, but Vamdemon hadn’t ruled this world for a decade without knowing how to protect himself and his pets. 

Perhaps he’d take a turn or two around the city himself and see what he could find. A hunter who thought to aim at one of the pack would definitely not turn down the chance to take him in particular down. And if there was more to this than just a simple human having cobbled together a tool from the remains of books and whatever scraps of wood they could find, then he wanted to know about it. 

Humans had tried to fight him once. He’d shown them that there was nothing they could do to defeat him. Now some of those same humans stood by his side, his most loyal companions and slaves. 

The thought of increasing pack numbers had occurred to him once before. He’d fondly imagine one of his blood pets for a spot in it before. 

Ah, Daisuke. Vamdemon’s lips thinned in pleasure at the memory of the child. He favored young ones for blood pets; they had plenty of time to live in the position and grow used to serving him. Older ones liked to try to run away. 

And yet, Daisuke had done just that, fleeing with a pair of humans. He’d searched for months before finally giving it up as a lost cause. He’d never taken another blood pet after that. 

His eyes narrowed in thought. He’d kept Daisuke for some time. The boy had had a chance to learn a vampire’s weaknesses and skills. Could he be this mysterious shooter? 

Something worth looking into, Vamdemon decided. And he would do just that. 

**To Be Continued**


	15. The Encounter

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 14: The Encounter  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,670||story: 40,047  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** Mimi x Sora/Sora x Mimi still exists, though they don't show up in this chapter. Mentions of vampirism throughout the story, as well as violence and death.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

One of the many lessons Piemon drilled into Yamato over their years as student and teacher involved the use of every sense that one possessed to keep track of what was going on around him. He wasn’t on a vampire’s level, of course, but Yamato wouldn’t have wanted to be. He’d never been especially thrilled about Vamdemon and what he’d done to half of his friends. 

He had no intention of ever telling Piemon this, but he fully intended to one day slam a stake into Vamdemon’s heart, just as much as he wanted to take Gennai’s head off his neck. Only when both of them were dead would Yamato feel he’d adequately avenged the loss of Taichi, Mimi, Sora, and Jou. 

Part of him knew that he should blame Piemon to some extent, but it was harder doing that when the Digimon had raised him, Takeru, and Koushirou for most of the last decade. He wasn’t a _good_ Digimon by any means; Yamato knew that quite well. But he had at least taken care of them. 

Garurumon’s head moved underneath his hand and he turned automatically in the direction his partner looked. Someone was coming toward them, hm? He nodded a fraction to indicate he’d understood the message. Garurumon stopped, while Yamato kept moving, his every step cautious and wary. He breathed in deeply; the wind brought a faint hint of a wild musk that he thought vaguely familiar. Someone he’d met, then, but not someone that he knew very well. 

That covered a lot of options. The only Digimon he could say that he knew very well were Garurumon, Piemon, and the other Dark Masters, and none of them had a scent like that. He would’ve recognized it far more quickly if they had. It couldn’t have been any of those who worked at the castle, because none of them would be out here right now. 

So, that meant it was likely someone that he’d met before everything changed. There were several who answered that description. That made it all the more interesting; who of those Digimon would be around here? They weren’t _precisely_ in Piemon’s direct territory, but it wasn’t far enough away that he really expected to have encountered anyone from that side here. 

Well, he couldn’t be entirely sure about that, really. He’d only left the castle a short time ago, but Garurumon could, and did, cover a vast amount of territory, and he’d wanted to get into the area he’d decided to check out for Gennai as soon as he could. Garurumon didn’t harbor the burning hatred that he did for their so-called former guide, but he had never turned down the chance to be alone with Yamato either. 

Yamato closed his eyes, focusing on that wild scent. If he hadn’t them very often, he didn’t expect to be able to identify them by that alone, but he wanted to try. It would make for a fine story to tell Piemon and Takeru once he returned home, if nothing else. The only problem he foresaw was that telling stories wasn’t really his forte, not anymore. 

He’d figure something out. Maybe he could try to draw, like Piemon did. 

Slowly he inched forward, taking in breaths and listening for the slightest hint of movement. Whoever it was, they were well-built, and skilled in moving silently. He couldn’t really hear them that well, and he didn’t think it was because his ears were that dull. They were taking care to walk in silence. 

Which put them even more firmly on the other side, because those who served Piemon didn’t worry about crossing paths with other people in the world that they ruled. Yamato bared his teeth in something that couldn’t even remotely be considered a smile. Perhaps whoever this was would know where Gennai was. 

Garurumon brushed against him and Yamato glanced toward him, head tilted to the side. With his usual lack of speech, they’d spent years developing ways to communicate without it. Gabumon could still speak, of course, but when they were out in the field like this, it was better not to take any chances on who might hear them. 

His partner tilted his head up, indicating the trees above them. Yamato blinked for a moment, then nodded. Whoever their quarry was, they’d taken the high road. Which meant they either had heard Yamato and Garurumon, or they at least suspected that someone else was out there. 

Either way, he knew what to do next. He moved carefully, one hand resting on the sword by his side, giving his best impression of being unaware that there was anyone there at all. He couldn’t be sure if this would work, but it didn’t matter. One way or another, he’d find whoever it was, and do what he did best. 

* * *

Leomon held his breath as he caught a glimpse of a silver mask and what he thought was blond hair peeking out from underneath it. It wasn’t Piemon; he knew the shape and scent of that fiend better than most. He’d heard stories, though. Stories about how the once Chosen of Friendship now lived behind a mask. Though why he did no one seemed to know. Conflicting stories ran rampant and the ones who knew the truth kept it to themselves. 

He could see Garurumon there as well, and that disturbed him in ways he didn’t want to think much of. _Takeru’s partner changed his evolution. So why didn’t Yamato’s?_ He needed to tell Gennai about this. Very few had seen the Chosen over the years, at least not in a way so they could tell details like this. 

While he needed to tell Gennai, Leomon knew he needed more information than this. Telling him that Yamato wore a mask and that Garurumon was still with him wasn’t much more than the shattered scraps they already knew about him. He needed to find out what happened, and as dangerous as that might be, that meant talking to Yamato. 

_He’s spent ten years with Piemon. This isn’t going to be easy._ Yet it needed to be done. Whatever damage existed couldn’t be healed if they didn’t know what it was in the first place. 

“It’s been a long time, Yamato.” Leomon spoke from where he was. Wanting to gain information didn’t mean he was going to put himself to where he could get his throat torn out, or worse. 

The blond’s head came up, blue eyes targeting right where Leomon’s voice came from. He was clearly much more of a warrior than he’d been a decade earlier. Leomon shifted enough to get a better look and mentally nodded. Far from being the boy he’d once been, he now stood much taller, with broader shoulders developed from years of swordplay and long legs that could likely give Leomon himself a run for his money in a race. 

But he said nothing at all, only stared at where the golden Digimon hid himself. His fingers brushed against Garurumon’s fur, and Leomon wondered that their bond could be so strong even now. Piemon corrupted all that he touched. Could he not twist this as well? 

“What are you doing here, Leomon?” Garurumon spoke, as tense as his partner. 

“Why do you want to know?” Leomon responded. “And I could ask you two the same thing.” He wanted to know if he needed to warn Gennai about Piemon’s warriors being in the area, and if security for their home needed improving. But those were not questions he could ask. 

Leomon couldn’t tell from where he was if Yamato touched Garurumon again, or if he said something too low even for his ears to hear. What he knew was that Garurumon moved forward almost too quick to be seen, slamming one heavy shoulder against his tree, and nearly knocking him from it by sheer surprise alone. 

He didn’t wait around for the second attack, but leaped forward to another tree, thoughts racing as he did. Clearly Yamato didn’t want a civil conversation. Though why he hadn’t said anything at all confused him more than enough on its own. 

_Does it have something to do with how he was hurt?_ He needed to find that out too. So he moved, quick as he could manage, landing on the ground and taking only the quickest of breaths to recover himself before he leaped to his feet and whirled to find the two of them behind him. Yamato, now mounted on Garurumon, held his sword in his hand, pointed directly toward Leomon. There wasn’t so much as a quiver to indicate any hesitation he might have about running Leomon through. 

“Yamato.” Leomon spoke the name in his best soothing tones. He wasn’t very good at being soothing, but he tried anyway. He didn’t know the child who had been very well, and he knew this man who was even less, but he had to do something. “What happened to you? We haven’t heard much.” 

Yamato’s eyes, still visible behind his mask, narrowed for a fraction of a second before Garurumon stepped forward. They weren’t attacking, but they did push him back step by step. 

“Not. Your. Business.” 

It took a few moments for Leomon to understand the grating, harsh words, much less that they’d come out of Yamato’s mouth. The mask covered his lips as well, but it was really more the _tone_ that surprised him more than anything else. Only then did the words themselves sink in. 

“I thought we were friends, once.” True, they hadn’t spent much time together, but they’d had the common goal to defeat Devimon and surely they would’ve stood together against Vamdemon and the Dark Masters if circumstances had been other than what they were. He recognized all of the Chosen as fellow warriors if nothing else. 

Yamato only shook his head, and Garurumon leaped forward, a low deep growl echoing from his chest. Leomon moved back; as much as he knew that Yamato would attack, that he faced a warrior as loyal to Piemon as Leomon was to Gennai, he could not bring himself to attack. 

_Did Piemon do this to him?_ It made sense, more sense than Leomon wanted to believe. Tormenting the poor child until he bent or broke to Piemon’s will, that was just what the mad clown would do. Given that Piemon wore a mask as well, that surely spoke clearer of the truth than anything else. 

He dodged, quick as could be, still refusing to draw out his own sword. He’d found out more than he wanted to know, and yet not enough at the same time. 

“Gennai and I can help you, Yamato!” Leomon hoped the offer would get through to the young man’s heart. “You and your brother and Koushirou shouldn’t be with Piemon anyway!” 

Yamato’s only response was to send Garurumon after him even faster. Boiling, fuming rage gleamed in his eyes, and Leomon moved to the side just in time, thanking all of his sparring matches with Ogremon and Kentaurmon for the reflexes that saved his throat from being sliced. As it was, a thin line of pain wrote itself across one shoulder and he saw a swipe of darkness across Yamato’s blade. 

“Gennai.” Yamato croaked out the word, Garurumon taking slow and deadly steps closer. “Where?” 

That did not sound good at all, and Leomon knew that it had nothing to do with Yamato’s broken voice. But he focused on that anyway, not wanting to give Gennai’s location away. 

“What _happened_ to him, Garurumon?” If Yamato wouldn’t answer, then perhaps his partner would. Garurumon would want to help Yamato, wouldn’t he? 

The great wolf only shook his head. “It’s not mine to tell.” Though if Leomon were not mistaken, reluctance tinged his voice. 

Yamato said nothing else, only bunched his shoulder in preparation for a quick strike. Leomon could escape from it; they both knew that. What mattered more was that Yamato would do it anyway. 

A wild battlecry echoed off the trees, and Garurumon leaped away only a moment before Kentauromon’s hooves smashed down where he’d been. Yamato clung to his partner’s back as if he’d done this a thousand times before, his enraged gaze slicing between the two Digimon, ever watchful. 

“Is that Ishida Yamato? The Chosen of Friendship?” Kentauromon asked, keeping his own watch on their opponent. Leomon could only nod. “So the stories are true.” They’d all hoped they weren’t, even after knowing for a certainty that Piemon had had the upbringing of the three living Chosen all this time. Knowing it and seeing it for themselves, far closer than the glimpses and shadows they’d had to deal with, were two entirely different matters. 

“It’s worse than we thought.” Leomon managed to pull the words up. “Something’s happened to his voice.” 

Kentauromon frowned, turning his full attention to the human. Before he could make another move, Yamato lowered himself to grip onto Garurumon a little tighter, and the two of them surged forward, far quicker than Leomon expected them to be able to move. In moments, he and Kentauromon were the only two in the clearing. 

* * *

Yamato hated the fact it hurt so much for him to speak. He didn’t just miss the fact he couldn’t sing properly anymore, but he couldn’t _communicate_ the way that he wanted to. Piemon understood. Takeru understood. So did Koushirou and Gabumon. They learned to understand him without his voice. 

He’d forgotten what it was like to be around people who didn’t know his ways, who didn’t know why he was the way he was now. Part of that was his own fault, he guessed, for not leaving the palace more often. But even if he had, this was Leomon. Leomon worked for Gennai and Gennai’s very name sent raging fire storming through Yamato’s blood. 

As soon as they were out of range for the two Digimon they’d left behind, he nudged Garurumon to slow down. He wasn’t ready to go back yet. He needed time to regroup and rethink how to accomplish his mission. Piemon had said he could take his time, so if he took days or even weeks to come back, that was quite all right. He knew how to survive out here. 

Of course, if he took longer than a few days, Takeru would get worried, and probably come looking for him. And while he trusted Takeru’s skills as he trusted few others, he did _not_ want his brother out here where Gennai’s people could get their hands on him. It annoyed him enough that Takeru came out here on his own. 

He pulled his thoughts back to where they belonged: how to find out where Gennai was. That was the entire purpose of this mission anyway. If he couldn’t find the exact location, then he wanted more information, and much, much more than having simply brushed by two of Gennai’s lackeys. 

He slouched against a tree, staring up at the sun-dappled leaves, trying to put a plan together. Garurumon stayed beside him, nose tilted into the wind, keeping guard. He draped one arm around his partner’s neck, a faint smile touching on his lips. It had almost been fun to fight Leomon. If the lion had just stopped trying to _talk_ to him and done what he should do, it would’ve been more so. 

As much as he wanted to rest more, this wasn’t a safe place at all. Yamato held in a sight, but pulled himself to his feet, gesturing with one hand toward Garurumon. He had supplies hidden not that far away, and retrieving them wouldn’t be hard. He would set up a base camp from which to do his searching, and it would also provide a place to lure in any other Digimon, such as Leomon or Kentauromon. If they wanted to attack him again, and they found his camp, he’d be the one giving them the surprise. 

Beneath his mask, he smiled. Piemon would be proud of him. 

**To Be Continued**


	16. The Decisions

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 16: The Decisions  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,747||story: 42,794  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** Mimi x Sora/Sora x Mimi still exists, though they don't show up in this chapter. Mentions of vampirism throughout the story, as well as violence and death.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

Jou read over the medical records for those kept in the pens; by Vamdemon-sama’s command they were to be the healthiest of the available lot, and it was part of his job to make certain this was so. He didn’t especially enjoy it, but he’d been given his orders years ago and he wasn’t going to question them. Health didn’t mean as much to him as it had when he’d actually had to worry about his own, but having this as one of his major assignments meant that he could pick and choose for his own meals. Being on a permanent liquid diet didn’t mean he didn’t still watch what he drank. 

“Jou.” 

He leaped to his feet at the quiet voice, bowing his head toward his master. “Vamdemon-sama! I’ve almost finished this week’s report.” He knew very well that Vamdemon only read the reports when he marked that something special needed to be noted. He was habitually brought the finest of the stock no matter what. Such were the perks of being the master. 

“I wasn’t here to ask about that.” Vamdemon’s lips twitched the slightest bit and Jou found himself grateful that vampires could not blush. “Do you remember Daisuke?” 

Jou frowned; that hadn’t been so long ago, but he’d had to deal with quite a few humans since then and it took a moment to bring up the correct face in his mind. “The one that you kept as your blood slave?” 

“Yes.” Vamdemon gazed out the window of Jou’s office, a distant look in his eyes. “I have reason to believe that he’s the one we’re looking for. The hunter.” 

Jou frowned even more. He’d tended to the human during his time as Vamdemon’s slave, and remembered him as a healthy young man with a delicious tang of anger to his blood. He’d been allowed to sample Daisuke once, to make certain that there wasn’t anything in his system that would harm Vamdemon, and the taste wasn’t like anything he’d tried before or since. “The one that Taichi and Wizarmon have been searching for?” 

“Yes. I want him back.” 

That didn’t surprise Jou. Vamdemon had always favored Daisuke, letting him roam around with little more than a collar and bite marks to identify who he belonged to, and taking him personally for strolls around the city. He’d been slightly more surprised when Vamdemon had called the search for the runaway off all those years ago. 

But, if that was what Vamdemon wanted, then that was what Vamdemon would have. He considered thoughtfully. “I think I still have a vial or two of his blood. We might be able to track him down with that.” He didn’t fully understand, even after nearly ten years as a vampire, how the power of certain Digimon could create effects that others might call magic, but if Vamdemon had someone who could do that, then he would provide the tools for it. 

“I think I might go after him myself. I wanted you for something else.” 

Jou tilted his head to the side curiously. “Yes, master?” If he wasn’t needed for help in tracking, he didn’t know what the master could want from him. 

“I want you to get in touch with Koushirou. Create something that will make Daisuke more obedient once I have my hands on him again.” Vamdemon smiled, a look that would’ve scared almost anyone else who saw it. “I have plans for how to keep him tame, but I need something that will corral him quickly.” 

“Yes, Vamdemon-sama.” Jou hadn’t spoken to Koushirou in some weeks, and it was always strange to speak to those who lived in the Digital World. He knew that he hadn’t aged since the day Vamdemon changed him, and to see Koushirou as a young adult confused him now and then. It wouldn’t interfere with his orders, though. Nothing interfered with those. 

“I don’t want him mindless. I want him _obedient_ , whether he chooses to be or not.” Something dark and twisted sparked in Vamdemon’s eyes. “I want him fully aware of what is happening to him and unable to stop it. I want him to know that everything he says and does is because I wish him to say and do it.” 

Jou took mental notes. Clearly, Vamdemon wasn’t in the best of moods with this situation. “We’ll make certain this happens, Vamdemon-sama.” He didn’t know offhand if he and Koushirou could do it, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t. It would hardly be the first time they’d found ways to accomplish the impossible. 

Vamdemon nodded. “I expect to see results in less than a week. The sooner I take my property back, the better.” 

* * *

Koushirou hummed to himself as he read over the message from Jou. He much preferred that to seeing the vampire in person; seeing his former friends still stuck as children struck a very wrong chord with him. He wouldn’t say anything about it, though. He didn’t want to offend Vamdemon. Or more precisely, he didn’t want to offend Piemon by insulting Vamdemon’s pack. 

For now, he considered what his options were for this new project. He no longer had to search for Pinnochimon, which gave him much more free time, as did Yamato taking up the search for Gennai. And this new project was definitely something different. 

He’d never bothered to research mind or body control. There hadn’t been a need. People obeyed Piemon because the alternative was to die, usually by his hand or that of the other Dark Masters. Or someone considered his hand. There were two certain blonds who came to mind for that. But now the idea sat before him and he had to think about it enough to figure out a way to make it work. In less than a week. 

He did like a challenge. And the thought of being able to override a human’s control of their own body…he didn’t _like_ it; he wasn’t going to lie, even to himself, about it. He pitied whoever it was that Vamdemon targeted for this. But the challenge shimmered and glowed in his mind, and he wanted to know if it could be done. 

Perhaps he could start with something like Devimon’s Black Gears? It might be worth considering. 

_It’s not exactly what Vamdemon-sama wanted, but perhaps if I examine one, I can figure out what to do next._

The issue with that was that no one had seen a Devimon in years, much less one of the Black Gears. Koushirou stared at the screen before him, before he started running searches. Perhaps someone had information on the Gears, even if one wasn’t available for actual hands-on research. 

_Perhaps I should ask Piemon-sama about searching for a Devimon. Or attempting to create one._ For all of his efforts after the last several years, he still didn’t understand everything there was to understand about Digimon evolution. If he had a dozen lifetimes he didn’t think he’d understand everything about it. 

What he did know amounted to the fact that evolution depended a great deal on the Digimon in question and sometimes on whether or not they were partnered to a human or not. Partnered Digimon whose partners died reverted to the egg stage, and so far as all reports from Earth could tell, showed little to no signs of further life. 

Rumor had it that a Patamon could theoretically evolve to either Angemon or Devimon, depending on what happened to it. Koushirou didn’t even consider bringing this up to Takeru. He was _quite_ content with Patamon’s current Adult evolution. Some things were best not tampered with by anyone. 

Research would have to give him the answers that he needed. He couldn’t see any other course, unless a Devimon were suddenly to appear out of nowhere. 

_Perhaps that’s something I should have Takeru look out for._

On the other hand, Takeru and the very thought of a Devimon didn’t bear thinking of. After ten years and everything else that changed in their lives, some things did _not_ change. 

Koushirou plunged into his research, making a note to himself to ask Tentomon to check to see if there were any PicoDevimon or Candmon that were on the verge of evolution. Those could provide a Devimon, according to all of his notes. Until then, he would work with what he had. 

* * *

Vamdemon searched through his personal chambers. He knew it was in here somewhere; once he’d retrieved it, he’d put it away here and hadn’t touched it since. The problem was that in the intervening time, the scent attached had faded, making it much more difficult for him to find it. 

_I wonder if I’ll have to resize it._ He expected Daisuke to have grown some, and the thought of what the boy could look like now intrigued him. He’d already made his mind up on exactly what he would do to him, in due course. First would be finding out where Daisuke had been these last few years and what had become of those two humans he’d escaped with. Once he knew all of that, he could determine what measures to take against them. 

Then Daisuke would re-learn his place, and when the time was right, he would _beg_ for his master to change him. 

He would take his time on doing so, of course. For that matter, he wanted to have just the perfect first meal awaiting Daisuke when the change happened. That was just one of the many bits of information that his pet would give him. 

One gloved hand encountered something in the far back of the closet, something round and slim and with the faint hints of leather oil and human. There weren’t many vampires who would have even noticed the human scent, but Daisuke had worn this collar for years, and his scent soaked deeply into it. Vamdemon brought it to his nose and breathed in deeply. Yes. Exactly as he remembered it. Fainter, of course, but there all the same. 

_I will find you. This will guide me to you._ Jou’s idea hadn’t been completely bad, but this would do so much better for a way to track than the blood would. Vamdemon caressed the collar briefly before he tucked it away. Now, to speak to Taichi. Wherever he happened to be. 

* * *

Wizarmon had likely already told Vamdemon-sama what their encounter with Pinnochimon, so Taichi wasn’t in a huge rush to get back home and repeat something the master had already heard. So he took his time, flittering around the city, not bothering to land anywhere. Part of him kept alert for the possible presence of that hunter and part of him simply searched for a good meal. 

The longer he stayed out, though, the more his thoughts began to drift back to what happened with Pinnochimon. He didn’t like the former Dark Master partially because Pinnochimon wasn’t all that likable to begin with, but the fact he was made out of wood didn’t make it any better. No vampire actually liked wood. 

_Wonder if I could set him on fire and let it stay this time._ He’d enjoyed the sight of Pinnochimon smoking and steaming. He kind of wished Wizarmon hadn’t put the flames out. 

His eyes narrowed at a sudden flash of memory. When they’d seen who it was that was there, Wizarmon had looked…regretful? Shocked? Taichi wasn’t certain of what it was, but it was something he didn’t like all that much. Yes, Pinnochimon was on their side, and burning him alive would’ve probably annoyed people it was best not to annoy, even if they could argue that he’d given them no sign of who he was and they had only been defending themselves. 

But for Wizarmon to look as if he were _upset_ by this, instead of worried… that wasn’t right. 

_He could have been angry. But he wasn’t._ That reaction, little more than a flicker, tugged harder and harder at Taichi’s thoughts. Something so small shouldn’t bother him as much as it did, but he wanted to know more about it and why it happened in the first place. 

If Wizarmon were as soft and weak as that slight bit of reaction indicated, then perhaps Taichi could take him out. The vampire smiled at the thought. Wizarmon wasn’t a threat in any way, but if he considered burning someone alive to be a _bad thing_ , then he wasn’t fit to serve Vamdemon-sama. 

It wouldn’t be the first time Taichi had disposed of someone who wasn’t strong enough. He’d kept his eye on PicoDevimon for over three years before the little twerp had the audacity to evolve into something _useful_. 

So far Wizarmon hadn’t shown any inclination to do something like that, and if that weakness could be exploited, then Taichi couldn’t see any reason why not to do it. He could, in fact, see several reasons _to_ do it. They needed no weaklings in positions of power, and Taichi considered Wizarmon’s growing mastery of magic to be a position of power. 

“Taichi.” 

Vamdemon didn’t surprise Taichi; he’d sensed his master’s arrival moments earlier. But he did bow his head quickly. “What can I do for you, master?” 

“The search for the hunter is changing. I have a suspicion on who it is.” Vamdemon hovered before him. Taichi perked up at the words; if there were something that could be done differently about this search, he was all for it. Anything that wasn’t another boring turn around the city where he couldn’t bite _something_. “Do you remember Daisuke?” 

Taichi tilted his head, thinking. It took another moment or two for the name to click and he nodded, eyes narrowing, all thoughts of Wizarmon set aside for the moment. “You think it’s him?” 

“It could be. I’m going to search for him myself.” 

That sent a shot of pure joy through Taichi. He’d never owned a blood pet himself, though he’d kind of wanted to have Hikari as one before they found out about the unfortunate effect her blood had on vampires. He could see why the master would want his old favorite restored to him. Perhaps there would even be punishments that he could take part in. 

“Is there anything that you’d like me to do to help, master?” 

“Keep out of this area until I’ve brought him in.” Vamdemon instructed. “Confine your hunting to the pens until further notice as well.” 

Taichi didn’t actually pout. But the thought did cross his mind, if only for a few moments. 

“As you wish, master.” 

Vamdemon nodded before heading off. Taichi considered calling him back, remembering then his suspicions about Wizarmon. 

_No,_ he decided suddenly. _I want to see how this plays out for myself._ Vamdemon had his games with Daisuke to play, whenever the blood pet was caught once again. Taichi didn’t doubt that Vamdemon would find him, either. But this game with Wizarmon was all for Taichi to work with. 

It would take some effort to find an excuse to watch Wizarmon with the initial search being called off, but Taichi had faith in his abilities. After all, Pinnochimon was still out there, and someone should probably keep an eye on him. Even if the master hadn’t ordered it, Taichi could do it on his own, and why not have someone who had already shown he could at least annoy the ex-Dark Master with him? 

Taichi threw himself into the air and sailed back toward the castle, forging various plans on how to express this to Wizarmon and trying to decide if he wanted to use any of them. If Wizarmon even had an idea of what he suspected, then he wouldn’t give anything away while he knew Taichi watched him. It might be better to not even let the other suspect. 

The more he considered it, the more he liked that plan best of all. _Besides, what is he really doing when he visits Lady Devimon? Or with those materials he orders?_ Wizarmon’s ways had never been under suspicion before, and Taichi knew full well that this could be nothing more than the product of his own mind, a wild suspicion that he held close for the chance to shred someone of proven and deep loyalty. 

He didn’t care. If he were wrong, then he’d only proven that Wizarmon’s loyalty was true. If he were right… 

If he were right, then he would thoroughly enjoy shredding the mage Digimon to pieces. 

**To Be Continued**


	17. The Meetings

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 17: The Meetings  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,579||story: 45,373  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** Mimi x Sora/Sora x Mimi still exists, though they don't show up in this chapter. Mentions of vampirism throughout the story, as well as violence and death.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

Ken knew that he should’ve stayed in the shadows, where the Digimon and her prisoner couldn’t see him. The idea of doing so sparked briefly in his mind before fading away as he realized they were on their way back to Vamdemon’s castle. To see a human mewed up in there when they were out of it, so close to being free…he inched just a fraction closer. Perhaps that was what caught the girl’s attention, as she turned to look directly at him. 

Now that he’d been seen, he wasn’t going to back off just yet. He would need to find a way to distract them so he could use one of the lesser entrances and not bring too much attention to their gateway here. 

“Who are you?” He thought she looked vaguely familiar, but not like anyone that he knew personally. It bothered him, and he wanted to figure out why. 

The girl blinked a little, head turning up toward her captor before she looked back at him. “I don’t know.” Her cheeks tinged a faint bit of red. “I’ve…kind of forgotten my name.” 

Ken’s hands clenched together and he bit back a hiss of anger. Daisuke hadn’t even been that bad, and he’d spent years as Vamdemon’s blood pet. He looked toward the Digimon. 

“I don’t suppose _you_ know her name?” Not that he expected an answer if she did. The Digimon would likely fly away at the first chance anyway. 

The reply definitely wasn’t what he expected. “What concern is it of yours?” 

“It’s only polite to exchange names when you meet someone for the first time.” Ken flashed his warmest smile, one that he’d practiced to use when he and the others encountered other groups of rebels or refugees or anyone that he could get something out of. Osamu had told him many times he was very good at looking very innocent. 

She didn’t move, except to draw the girl closer to her. “You don’t have any reason to see her again.” 

“LadyDevimon…” The girl leaned herself in more to the Digimon. “He hasn’t done anything.” 

The Digimon looked down at her, and Ken would’ve sworn that he saw genuine concern in her scarlet eyes. “You remember Vamdemon-sama’s instructions.” It was not a question, and Ken could see the way the girl’s shoulders slumped down at once. 

“I remember.” 

LadyDevimon turned her attention back to Ken, eyes narrow and cold. “We have no time to speak to you. Best that you hide yourself, human, and forget that you ever saw either of us.” 

Ken wanted to do far more than just talk. He wanted to grab the girl and pull her away from the Digimon, to take her to their base and make certain that she didn’t have to suffer whatever life she endured that gave Vamdemon, of all beings, such control over her life. 

He had no chance, however. As quick as thought, LadyDevimon whisked away, the girl still held tight in her arms. Ken watched as they faded into the distance, and leaned his head against one of the tree trunks behind him. 

_What was that?_ He’d hoped to have…something more happen. To have more of a conversation, to know more about whoever she was. He’d barely even squirmed out a name, and it wasn’t even hers. 

_How can she have forgotten her own name?_ It didn’t make sense, at least from what limited information he had. Had Vamdemon done something to her? Why do whatever it was and not make her one of the pack? 

He shook his head. He needed to make certain Daisuke made it back in one piece, and so far there hadn’t been any sign of him anywhere. That didn’t bode well. 

* * *

Daisuke could’ve strangled something, or someone, if he’d had someone there to strangle. Hours and hours of walking through the city and all he had to show for it were sore feet and being as bored out of his mind as someone could be when their world had been all but destroyed and vampires ruled everywhere. He’d seen a few quickly moving shapes that he guessed were humans scavenging, since none of them demanded to know who he was and what he was doing, and most of the Digimon would gladly interrupt any stray humans they found to do just that. 

_Never did find out what those noises were._ He’d heard a furious scream, but it had been several streets away and by the time he’d made it over there, all he’d found were a few hints of something having burned. 

He stared for a few more moments at the remains of whatever fight this had been and decided that was enough for now. He’d done his best to track down Vamdemon, Taichi, or any other vampire that wanted to turn up and he didn’t have a single thing to show for it. It was time to go home. 

Even with as annoyed as he was and as empty as the streets were now, he didn’t turn directly back the way he’d come. He knew at least four different ways to get back to the refuge from here, and he picked one he hadn’t used in at least a month’s time. Ken had taught him that; never to use the same route twice in a row, and to put as much time in between the routes as possible. It would keep the odds of being trailed back a little thinner. 

He darted along with his usual speed, crossbow held ready in one hand, and still watching for vampires, _just_ on the chance that he got lucky. If he hadn’t after spending what had to have been at least half the day, if not more, out on the streets where his scent would draw any hunting vampires to him, then he likely wasn’t while on the way home. But he hoped anyway. 

_Wonder if I scared them._ Daisuke smirked at the thought. To think that the big, bad, powerful flock of Vamdemon’s vampires would be scared of little him, just because he had something that could kill them. It wasn’t as if they hadn’t torn an entire city apart, and gone on to shred the world itself. No, they were scared of a teenager with a crossbow. 

He hoped they were. The thought of scaring the bastard sent a thrill all through his veins. 

He wondered for a moment what that would taste like and shoved his thoughts away from that without hesitation. He hated wondering what someone _tasted_ like, what _blood_ tasted like. For the most part he’d managed to stop himself from thinking it, but he’d been told that after being a blood pet, it was only natural. 

Daisuke really didn’t want to think about what it meant for their world that people _knew that_. 

It really just made him far more determined to find a way to plant a stake through Vamdemon’s heart and then the rest of the pack. But Vamdemon first, if at all possible. He’d take any of the others he found, but that blue-eyed bastard was always first priority. 

Shoving those thoughts away as well, for the sake of making better progress without losing awareness of what was going on around him, he did a quick check and nodded. He was close enough to the entrance to start being _extra_ cautious. 

He still remembered what it was like to relax going home, instead of preparing to plow through security measures. Only vaguely, but he remembered. 

Before he stepped into the arch that defined the way home, at least for this particular area, a slim shadow moved closer. Daisuke started to bring up the crossbow, adrenaline flooding through him, and the shadow froze where it was. 

“Daisuke.” Ken’s voice floated out of the shadows, and Daisuke relaxed a fraction. “You’ve been making people worry.” 

Daisuke rolled his eyes. Great. Just what he needed. Smothering from more people than Jun. “She told you to wait for me, didn’t she?” 

Ken, now a trifle more visible as Daisuke’s eyes adjusted quickly to the deeper darkness here, shrugged. “I wasn’t doing anything else with my time. Did you have any luck?” 

“No. Not so much as a glimpse of a fang.” He would come back out. He knew that. Ken knew that. They _all_ knew that. Until they had definite proof one way or the other on how much use a crossbow could be, until Daisuke found one of those vampires and did something about them, he’d be out there regularly. 

Ken made a noncommittal noise and turned, starting the first of the entrance procedures. Each of them was different for each entrance, and keeping them all straight was a nightmare. Daisuke didn’t mind. He’d had worse nightmares. 

“I saw something interesting while I was out here.” Ken murmured, keeping his voice pitched low. “I think everyone should hear about it, though.” 

Daisuke glanced over; Ken called very few events interesting. And to not want to tell him about it right away? That caught Daisuke’s own interest right away. 

Damn. Now he was jealous. Something interesting happened to Ken while he killed time and his feet prowling for creatures that could take his head off if he didn’t find them first. Some days were just _not_ fair at all. 

* * *

Once again the leadership group gathered together. No one was especially thrilled about a meeting so close to the appointed time for going to meet this spy of Gennai’s, but Ken insisted. In the hour or so since he and Daisuke returned from above, he’d made certain that all of them came. 

“You did what?” Osamu stared at his brother as if he’d never seen him before in his life. 

“I saw a female Digimon carrying a human and I spoke to her.” Ken shook his head, hands clenching on the table before him. “I hadn’t meant to. If she hadn’t called to me first, I wouldn’t have, but once she did, I reasoned it was better to meet them on my terms rather than have the Digimon start attacking the entrance shelter.” 

Osamu took a long breath, shook his head, and turned to Shuu and Shin. “We’re going to start making preparations to close up that entrance permanently.” 

The Kido brothers nodded and would’ve started to list what they needed right away, if Ken hadn’t interrupted. 

“You’re missing the point. Vamdemon is keeping a human prisoner. Not for the feeding pens. She wasn’t fed well enough for that.” Ken’s lip curled at the thought but he continued with what he was saying. “The Digimon – LadyDevimon – said that Vamdemon had ‘given instructions’. Which means she’s a personal prisoner of some kind.” 

Daisuke hadn’t said a word throughout Ken’s whole speech. He held a cup of hot tea in his hands, but it had gone untouched for nearly five minutes before Jun touched the side of his hand, asking if he were all right. 

“Huh? Yeah.” Daisuke took a small sip of his drink. No one genuinely believed him, and for good reason. Ken cast a quick glance his way, though he wasn’t sure if Daisuke noticed or not. 

Miyako, ever the embodiment of tact and sensitivity, leaned over to stare at him. “You spent a couple of years there. Any idea of who she might be?” 

Ken groaned and slumped back in his seat. There were times for Miyako’s complete straightforwardness. In his opinion, this wasn’t one of them. Though, he had to admit, it was a good question. 

Daisuke shot a heated glare toward her, but answered anyway. “That’s the problem. I was trying to remember if I had.” His fingers tightened on the cup, almost bending the poorly made metal. “I…I think I do.” He stared down for a few moments. “You know I don’t try to think about then very often.” 

No one protested; Daisuke’s way of thinking about what happened was to either punch something or go hunting for something. They simply waited. 

“He didn’t take me everywhere with him.” Daisuke slowly began to dredge the words up from the deepest pits of his memories. “I never heard everything. But every now and then I would hear him talking about someone. I never heard a name. It was like no one wanted to say this person’s name. It might not even be the person you saw, Ken. But I think I remember him calling whoever it was a ‘her’. So…I don’t know.” 

“What would he say about her? Or whoever it was?” Ken asked, his voice low and thoughtful. Daisuke scrunched his face up, thinking harder. 

“He would just…ask how she was doing. Sometimes I heard him tell one of the pack that he was going to see her.” Daisuke slowly shook his head as he fought for other memories. “That’s about it. If he did anything else about her, I can’t remember.” 

Osamu, more interested now than he had been, leaned over. “So what we know is that Vamdemon is keeping a human prisoner, one that he’s not using as a blood pet, and she has a very powerful Digimon guarding her, and she’s also allowed out for air.” 

Ken nodded, his mind racing to put all of these pieces together. “He’s had her for years, if who Daisuke remembers is the same person.” Something else occurred to him. “She didn’t seem…scared of LadyDevimon. Not at all.” That was something unusual all by itself. Digimon weren’t creatures of comfort to them, but he knew he’d seen trust in that girl’s eyes. Trust centered on the demon that held her close. 

“So what are we going to do about it?” Miyako asked, eyes bright with annoyance. “What if she can help? What if she knows things?” 

“We need to know more about her.” Ken pointed out a bit reluctantly, his more practical side surging forward. “If she doesn’t even know her own name, she might not know anything that could help us.” 

Miyako threw herself back in her chair, drumming her fingers on the table. “So, like I said, what are we going to do?” 

“Gennai said that his agent is very highly placed in Vamdemon’s power structure.” Osamu spoke slowly, thoughtfully. “It’s possible that the Digimon you saw could even be the same one we’re going to meet. If not, the agent might be able to tell us something more. Or find out. That’s probably the best way we have to get more information right now.” 

Ken nodded, straightening up more. It always felt better to have some kind of plan in mind. “We don’t have that much longer until the meeting. Is everyone ready?” 

“As ready as we’ll ever be.” Iori said. He still didn’t look entirely convinced that any of this was a good idea. Ken made a point to talk to him about it when he had more of a chance. They needed everyone committed to this, or something stood a chance of going wrong. 

As the others began to disperse, Daisuke remained where he was, still sipping at his tea, but with an air that indicated it was more out of not wanting to waste a drink than actual interest in it. Ken watched him, not sure at all of what to say. He had few moments like that, but so many of them seemed tied up with Daisuke. 

So for now, he said nothing at all, but remained by his friend’s side in companionable silence. 

**To Be Continued**


	18. The Return

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 18: The Return  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,553||story: 47,926  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** Mimi x Sora/Sora x Mimi still exists, though they don't show up in this chapter. Mentions of vampirism throughout the story, as well as violence and death.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

She swept along with all possible speed, not caring if anyone saw her. There were only humans out here, and it was hardly a secret where a Digimon returned to whenever they left the castle. She wanted to return to those thick stone walls and to the peace of the underground cell and to set guards to make certain that no one dared to come between her and her charge ever again. 

LadyDevimon did her best not to think of the fact that the human hadn’t made any moves to take Hikari from her. But he’d wanted to, she told herself. Any human who knew of the girl’s importance would want to take her away from all Digimon and use her to defeat Vamdemon. 

The fact she couldn’t blame them at all didn’t matter to her. She refused to let the girl out of her sight, much less her grip. Hikari was hers to protect and defend, and she would let no one else do it. 

“He was nice,” the girl murmured, and LadyDevimon tightened her grip. 

“Don’t speak of him.” The Digimon warned her quickly. “No one must know that we met him at all.” Vamdemon would be furious at the breach of his orders, no matter how slight they were. 

Hikari leaned in closer and nodded, her hair a soft brush across LadyDevimon’s armored chest. It wasn’t a hard promise to make; Vamdemon would never stoop to asking the human what happened directly. _She_ was the one who would have to take care with her answers to make certain their little indiscretion wasn’t uncovered. 

“Why did you say anything to him?” LadyDevimon murmured the question as they drew closer to the castle. They didn’t have much time, but out here was safer to speak of such things than it would be once they passed the gates. 

Again her hair brushed against LadyDevimon, but this time in a shake of negation. “I don’t know. I…” She struggled for words that didn’t come, and the Digimon could feel her frustration. “It was right.” There were other questions that LadyDevimon wanted to ask, such as how Hikari had even seen him with how hidden he was, and how unused she was to seeing in places like this. The dungeon was somewhat brighter, but not by much, but the shadows he’d hid in were deep and concealing. _Why was he even there?_ Humans didn’t normally just hide, and he’d looked …not starving, though she wouldn’t say he was as well-fed as the humans kept in the castle. 

A rebel of some kind? Perhaps he was the one who’d attacked the flock? Even if he wasn’t, he was clearly a wild human, given his wariness around Digimon in general. Those humans who weren’t kept in the pens tended toward more submissiveness in general, or so she’d gathered from the few times she’d encountered such humans. This one looked as if he expected her to go for his throat at a moment’s notice. 

It was just as well that he kept that kind of attitude. He might live somewhat longer with it. 

Turning her thoughts to more important matters, she landed just outside the gates and stalked toward them. The guards glanced from her to the girl in her arms and both nodded, saying nothing more. She caught a glimpse of a Candmon rushing off moments later, and knew he was on the way to alert Vamdemon that they’d returned. She wasn’t questioned on her comings and goings, but that didn’t mean Vamdemon never knew what was going on himself. 

She made her way through the corridors, a hint more of relief filling her now that they were home again. Going out had been far more stressful than she’d thought it would be. 

_I don’t regret it._ Because even with the encounter with that human, Hikari looked so much better. Her eyes warmed with more life, and there wasn’t nearly the same sense of apathetic disregard there’d been before this. It might not last; it might only be a remnant from the trip itself, but right now, it was there, and she enjoyed it. 

She hated having to take Hikari back into the cell itself. If this were more of a room and less of a prison, perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad. But the cell bars and the bare emptiness reminded them both of what her life truly was like. Little visits outside couldn’t compare to the open freedom of the skies. 

LadyDevimon wondered briefly who was more of a prisoner between the two of them. 

“I see you’ve returned.” Vamdemon spoke from only a short distance away. She turned, closing the cell behind her as she did, and locking it. Hikari moved back over to her bed and lay down without another word, returning to her usual position. 

“Thank you for allowing us to have this trip, my lord.” LadyDevimon bent her head, already missing the warmth of Hikari being so close to her. 

Strange. She used the girl’s name far more in her own thoughts now than she had before. 

Best not to dwell on that, not with the master right here. 

Vamdemon nodded, and LadyDevimon noticed as she straightened that he held something in his hands. She hadn’t seen that collar in years, not since his blood pet had run away. 

“Vamdemon-sama?” She gestured toward the circle of leather with one hand. “Are you taking a new blood pet?” She knew it couldn’t be Hikari, not with how her blood flowed with the power of the Light. But he’d never seemed interested in having another one. 

“No, I’m going to find my old one.” Vamdemon ran his gloved hands over the leather, breathing in the scent, a dark amusement showing in his expression. “The danger that I spoke of before you left?” He waited only long enough for her to indicate she remembered before he continued. “I believe he may be involved.” 

LadyDevimon’s fingers tightened for a moment. She hadn’t met his former blood pet more than once or twice and she scrambled after those memories now, faded and weak as they were. She didn’t want to think that the young human they’d met out there could possibly be that same pet, but she didn’t want to dismiss the thought out of hand. At the same time, she couldn’t decide if it would be safer if the two _were_ the same or not. 

“Is something wrong?” He eyed her for a moment, one graceful eyebrow cocked in curiosity. Quickly she shook her head. 

“I had thought you’d given up on him.” Though she’d always held a scrap of pity for the human if he’d ever managed to fall back into Vamdemon’s hands. It was likely enough that Hikari’s fate would seem pleasant in comparison to whatever the vampire lord had in mind for him. 

Vamdemon admired the collar for a few moments, and she found herself quite pleased that she couldn’t read whatever thoughts moved through his mind. “I was willing to let him go, so long as he didn’t cause any further trouble. But he’s taken to shooting arrows at my pack.” That would explain a _great_ deal. Vamdemon held all the lives within his realm as his to give or take or twist in whatever fashion he chose. If the pet dared to attempt to kill part of the pack itself, those closest to Vamdemon, then he would have to be dealt with. 

“I saw nothing that I feel could help you in your search.” She chose her words with great care. From what she remembered from the pet’s time here and those rare occasions she’d seen him, he had been a redhead, and the one she’d seen wasn’t. She hadn’t paid enough attention to really notice what he was, but she remembered enough of what she had seen to know what he wasn’t. 

She also didn’t want to consider that the human she’d seen might _know_ the blood pet. Almost anything was possible, but if she didn’t know, then what she said wasn’t a lie. Lying to Vamdemon resulted in the most horrifying of agonies. 

She’d learned that the hard way, so very long ago, in a time she did her best not to remember at all anymore. 

Vamdemon nodded, sliding the collar out of sight beneath his cape. She’d wondered before how much he could keep in there. Even after all this time as his servant, much of what he did was a complete mystery to her. 

“It’s nothing you need to worry yourself over. I’ll take care of this.” 

And that itself surprised her. He very seldom took matters into his own hands, preferring to work through other Digimon. She only nodded now, however. 

“Vamdemon-sama, I feel that our trip outside did what I wanted with the girl,” she spoke instead of something else that preyed at the depths of her thoughts. “Would we be allowed to make further trips in the future?” She would make certain none of them came anywhere near where they’d met that human as well. She wouldn’t take risks like that. Hikari was hers. 

Vamdemon tilted his head in consideration. “Perhaps. But no more until after I’ve dealt with this situation.” 

She wanted to protest that nothing at all had happened for them to worry about. The fact of that boy’s presence cropped up in her mind again and she sealed her lips, nodding in acquiescence. “Yes, Vamdemon-sama.” 

The vampire lord smiled, a slash of fangs and fury. “You need not worry. This won’t take me long at all.” 

That worried her for reasons she didn’t understand and refused to examine closely. This wasn’t any of her concern. The only human she needed to worry herself about was the one who lay on her bed right now, staring blankly at the ceiling, as if the whole trip outside hadn’t happened at all. 

* * *

She could hear them talking to each other, for all the world as if she didn’t exist, or existed only in the barest sense of the word. That wasn’t unusual. If anything, to have more focus on her would’ve been out of the ordinary. Normally she hated it, insomuch as she had the strength to hate anything at all. 

Today she welcomed it, since it gave her a chance to think about what happened. The fact something had happened at all that she could think about sent odd thrills through her. 

She’d _gone outside_. Not to be displayed before the assembled Digimon army as Vamdemon’s prize captive. Not even to be killed, something she’d worried about now and then. But an actual trip outside, where there was fresh air and …well, not much else. The ruins of the city didn’t entirely match up to her memories and she didn’t know if it were her memories that were faulty, the city itself somehow, or something else altogether. 

So she didn’t worry about those, really. She relived the trip in her mind in glorious detail, the way the cool air –was it autumn? Spring? There hadn’t been enough of a tang to the air for her to guess – brushed against her, the feel of LadyDevimon’s arms around supporting her and protecting her from all harm. 

And then there had been the boy. She repeated his name in her mind. _Ichijouji Ken._ She hadn’t heard another’s name in so long. _I wish I could’ve told him mine._

Sometimes she wondered if LadyDevimon had told her the truth, that she didn’t even know her name. She wanted to think that she had. She wanted to believe that her guardian hadn’t lied about anything in their time together. But another, deeper part of herself, one that remembered that her guardian was her _jailer_ , no matter how sweet she was about it, told her that LadyDevimon would do anything that Vamdemon commanded, no matter her own opinion on the matter, and if he’d told her not to reveal the prisoner’s name, then she wouldn’t do it. 

Sometimes she hated being a prisoner. It had been so long since she wasn’t, she only vaguely remembered not being one, but she knew it had been better than this. She remembered warm sunlight and something fuzzy in her arms. 

_Miko…_

She hoped that her cat had survived the damage somehow and found someone to live with. 

She wanted to think that her parents had somehow escaped from all of this, but she remembered the look on Taichi’s face, so twisted and _hungry_ , and in the dark nights when she dreamed, she knew that they hadn’t. 

There were other people she remembered, faint images of people who had lived in their apartment building or that she’d gone to school with. Some were clearer than others, though names always escaped her. There’d been a girl with the bluest, clearest eyes that she could ever remember seeing, and a boy with red hair who always made her laugh. 

She hadn’t laughed, really and truly laughed, in so long that it hurt to think about. Like so much else, she decided thinking about it wasn’t worth the pain, and turned her thoughts elsewhere. 

What had that boy, Ken, been doing there anyway? She wanted to ask LadyDevimon, but a quick peek showed that her guardian wasn’t there. She’d likely gone to her own room to rest after their trip. She couldn’t think of where else she might be. 

She was more than a little tired herself. As much as she’d enjoyed it all, she wasn’t used to travel outside. She wanted to get used to it, and from what she’d overheard between them, she might have the chance. 

_Maybe I’ll see him again. Or other humans._ The thought of actually talking to someone who wasn’t LadyDevimon, or seeing people who weren’t Wizarmon or the Veggimon workers, struck a chord deep within her. Perhaps they’d even talk to her, like Ken had. Wrapping her mind around someone directing questions toward her would take some effort, but she wanted to do it. She wanted it more than anything she could think of right now. 

But that would somehow mean getting away from LadyDevimon, because while the Digimon guarded her, there was no way at all that she’d be able to talk to humans. Those had been the terms of the first trip, and she doubted that Vamdemon would change them for future ones. She wanted so much to talk to other people, but the more she thought about it, the more impossible it seemed. 

_I’ll figure out something. Maybe she will let me if I ask nicely enough._ LadyDevimon wasn’t cruel. She was just very obedient to Vamdemon. She could’ve punished her for being the one to speak first to Ken and she hadn’t. So, maybe, just maybe, there was something of a small chance. 

She decided that getting some rest now was a very good idea. Meal time would come sooner or later, and maybe there would be time for other questions. 

Slowly she let her eyes slide closed, reaching back to those days before the darkness descended on the world, when there’d been light and dreams of a future that didn’t involve a destroyed world. When everything had been innocent and she’d loved her brother instead of fearing the thing that wore his face. 

**To Be Continued**


	19. The Turning

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 19: The Turning  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,701||story: 50,627  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** Mimi x Sora/Sora x Mimi still exists, though they don't show up in this chapter. Mentions of vampirism throughout the story, as well as violence and death. Especially violence and death in this chapter.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

Wizarmon tossed and turned, hands clenching at the light blanket that he’d pulled over himself earlier. His breath came in short pants, his eyes moving quickly behind his closed lids. Stitched together lips, hardly visible behind his scarf, moved softly, faint words inaudible to anyone who might’ve been there falling from them. 

Then his eyes shot open and he sat up, one hand reaching outward as if reaching for something-or someone. For a few seconds he remained like that, breathing hard, then collapsed backward, closing his eyes. 

_Another nightmare._ This wasn’t the first he’d had about what happened, nor, he felt, would it be the last. He didn’t think anything would ever purge those memories from him, short of finding a way to travel into the past and change everything. 

He remained where he was, not yet ready to try getting out of bed. He would have to, sooner or later, but he just didn’t want to. Not with those images shimmering bright behind his eyes still. Getting up would involve encountering Vamdemon or the pack, and he truly did not want to see any of them right now. 

Especially not her. Takenouchi Sora, once the Chosen of Love, the oldest of the pack, though not by more than a couple of weeks. 

Wizarmon drew in a deep, stuttering breath, and did his best not to think about it. Unfortunately, his best wasn’t that good, and he found himself reliving it yet again, as vividly as if those moments had just happened. 

* * *

That day, Wizarmon knew that Vamdemon and PicoDevimon were up to something. He didn’t know what, but he wanted to keep an eye on them, even if it risked his life. He’d done so for years already, burrowing his way into Vamdemon’s armies, awaiting the day when he could do something to help his dear friend Tailmon. She wanted to find someone who was special to her, the person she’d waited and hoped for over the course of decades, but had never seen. He would help her find this person, no matter what it cost him. 

This meant that he had to protect her as best that he could, and if that meant trailing after Vamdemon, then he would do so. It had meant, on more than one occasion, that he’d had to deal with PicoDevimon and his taunts and jeers, but Wizarmon had learned to give as good as he got when he needed to. 

His powers of magic were more than adequate to conceal himself from PicoDevimon, and since Vamdemon was there only through a messaging spell, Wizarmon didn’t think he’d be noticed. So he remained as close as he could to where PicoDevimon lurked speaking with his master. 

Most of what they talked about, Wizarmon wasn’t certain about. He knew of the Chosen Children, for talk of them had filled Vamdemon’s army for weeks now, and he’d guessed that PicoDevimon was involved with distracting them somehow. But more than that, he didn’t really know. 

“What’s that?” 

The moment he heard Vamdemon speak, he froze in fear, wondering if he should simply flee now and take his chances. If he’d seen the vampire Digimon looking toward him, he might well have. 

Instead, Vamdemon’s attention turned elsewhere, somewhere behind PicoDevimon. Wizarmon managed to crane his neck enough to get a good look himself. He recognized a Piyomon, half-hidden behind a thick bush, but what was that with her? 

“One of the Chosen Children. Bring her to me, PicoDevimon.” Vamdemon declared. 

Wizarmon’s fingers clenched together. A human, one of those humans who fought evil Digimon like Vamdemon, in the dark creature’s clutches? He hoped that she would be able to flee from him, get away safely and rejoin her friends. Chosen Children came in groups, he knew that much. He didn’t know why she was here on her own, but the quicker she left, the safer she would be. 

“She’s no trouble. I already talked to her.” PicoDevimon seemed to want to wave it off, and Wizarmon began to breathe more easily. “She’ll never get her Crest to activate now.” 

Vamdemon turned his cold gaze onto his subordinate. “I did not ask you for your opinion. I gave you an order.” 

PicoDevimon squawked and flapped up into the air. Showing a remarkable amount of sense, the Chosen Child hadn’t waited around, but already hurried out of there, her partner flying with her. 

“Hey, wait up! Come on, just slow down a little!” PicoDevimon shouted, his wings not as suited as Piyomon’s for swift flying. “The boss just wants to talk to you!” 

“Like I believe that!” The human snapped back, glancing over her shoulder as she ran. Wizarmon saw a shadow fall in front of her, and his heart clenched deep in his chest. He knew that shape so very well. 

“Sora! Watch out!” Piyomon squawked at her, and the Chosen Child turned around just in time to crash headfirst into Vamdemon. She stumbled back a step or two, but before she could recover and move out of the way, his hands came down firmly on her shoulders and he pulled her closer to him. 

“You are the Chosen Child of Love,” Vamdemon said, his teeth sharp and visible with every word. The human, Sora, struggled in his grip, but no matter how hard she tried, nothing happened. Piyomon flapped her wings, rising backward, and only stopped when Vamdemon’s gaze settled on her. “Would you attack me when I have your partner this close to me?” 

“Let Sora go!” Piyomon shouted, fury in every sweep of her wings. “She hasn’t done anything to you!” 

“And I intend to make certain that she never does. But not here.” Vamdemon pulled the girl up into his embrace and gave the pink Digimon another look. “If you wish to come along, do so.” 

Wizarmon winced; Vamdemon could’ve destroyed Piyomon with little more than a wave of one hand. The sorcerer had seen the vampire do it before, too many times for him to count. But he wanted the Digimon to come along, to see whatever horrid fate he had in store for this Sora first-hand. 

And he would go as well, he knew. Perhaps he could find Tailmon and persuade her to let the girl go, if it could be done at all. Attacking Vamdemon and PicoDevimon now would result only in his own death. Getting help wasn’t just the best that he could do, it was the only thing he could do. 

* * *

Getting back to the castle without being seen didn’t take long. Finding Tailmon took longer, especially since she had been in the middle of delivering a speech to some new recruits she’d gathered up for Vamdemon’s army. He waited until she was done before he approached her. 

“Is there something I could help you with, Wizarmon?” She didn’t look very approachable, but these days, she never did. He missed the times when there had been kindness in her eyes, small and fragile as it had been. Being one of Vamdemon’s most trusted lackeys had done that to her. 

This was why he wanted to bring her and that unknown person together. To give her back her heart, lost as it had been. 

_Could she have a Chosen Child for a partner?_ No one knew how many of them there were, and it would be like Vamdemon to twist something like that to his advantage, if he knew. 

He spoke before she could get wary of his silence, putting the thought out of his mind for the moment. “I only wanted to know how things have been with you.” He knew he had to be careful when it came to speaking with her on going against Vamdemon in even the slightest ways. If he didn’t do it right, she’d be just as likely to denounce him as PicoDevimon would, if not more so. He’d done his best to keep her convinced that he was as loyal to Vamdemon as she was, or at least would do nothing against him. Now wasn’t the time to push too hard. 

“I don’t have time for casual chitchat. Vamdemon-sama sent word that he’s bringing in a special prisoner.” She started to move past him and he gestured for her to wait. “Wizarmon. I don’t have time.” 

“This is important. I think he’s captured one of the Chosen Children.” At his words, she froze for a heartbeat before turning to look at him. 

“If he did, then I need to see what he needs me to do.” This time she didn’t give him a chance to stop her, but hurried on as quickly as she could. 

He looked after her, frustration in the set of his shoulders. He couldn’t believe how devoted she’d come after all these years. Perhaps if he’d found the right words, something to spark in her heart that he still trusted beat beneath the obedience, he could’ve done something more. 

Perhaps he would have to be the one to save this child, if she could be saved at all. He’d never seen a human before this, and this one looked so very young, much like a Child Digimon indeed, despite being about his own size. 

_I’ll do what I can. There isn’t much time._ He could throw some secret help to her partner and that might secure their escape. Anything that he could do that wouldn’t endanger his own life and secrecy would help. He hoped. 

* * *

Finding out where Sora was being held proved impossible: because Vamdemon wasn’t holding her in a cell at all. He kept her in his own quarters, which meant that the only one who stood a chance to enter in there without being noticed was Vamdemon himself. A dozen wards and spells kept anyone else out, and even if Wizarmon had been able to break them, Vamdemon would know right away who did it. 

Wizarmon knew exactly who had taught Vamdemon how to cast spells of that nature, and there wasn’t any way that he could break them without Vamdemon knowing. Vamdemon’s power was strong enough and with the spells themselves provided by Piemon, there was nothing he could do. 

He would have to study more, learn more about how to bend those spells in such a way that no one could detect them. It wouldn’t help this Chosen of Love now, but if ever there were another prisoner bound like this that he could release, it would help then. 

Vamdemon didn’t take much time in showing exactly what he had in mind for these humans who had the temerity to defy him in even the smallest ways. His army gathered together in the great courtyard, hundreds strong and with more arriving on a daily basis. Tailmon and PicoDevimon stood near him, while Piyomon hovered, as chained by her partner’s captivity as if she’d born steel chains herself. 

Wizarmon kept himself hidden in the shadows. Tailmon hadn’t spoken to him since that first not-conversation, and she didn’t look for him now. He noticed her gaze flickering toward the prisoner, however, and wondered what thoughts made their way through her mind. So close to Vamdemon, he dared not use any magic that might find out. Any sort of distraction could and would infuriate the vampire, and now was not the time for that. 

“Witness the fate of those humans who would fight me!” Vamdemon declared, and reached out to seize Sora by the collar of her shirt. She struggled, and Piyomon’s wings beat harder as once again she prepared her attack. This time, PicoDevimon shot up in front of her, one of his magical darts in his claws. The venom would only make a Digimon very sick, but rumor had it that it could kill a human. 

Wizarmon didn’t know how that was known. He didn’t think now was a time to try to find out. Not with PicoDevimon threatening Sora to keep Piyomon at bay. 

“Enough, PicoDevimon. She won’t be a problem much longer.” If Vamdemon meant the human or Piyomon, Wizarmon didn’t know. Either way, he tensed, the sharp need to do something surging through him. Whatever Vamdemon had in mind couldn’t be allowed to happen. 

Vamdemon pulled Sora closer to himself, ignoring her flailing limbs and the terrified cries that came from both her and her partner. He tilted her head to the side, and Wizarmon realized what he had in mind only then, as sharp fangs pierced the girl’s neck. 

She screamed. He’d never heard such a scream in his life, and from the looks he spied scattered among the army, neither had some of them. Tailmon didn’t move at all, her eyes round with shock, and only by looking closely could Wizarmon tell that she breathed at all. 

Sora’s screams and struggles faded far more quickly than Wizarmon liked, as Vamdemon sucked every drop of blood out of her that he could. Wizarmon knew he fed on Digimon, but he’d never seen the other feed from a human before. The idea of such a thing had never occurred to him. Now he wished he’d never come here at all. 

Her fingers twitched once, twice, then not at all. Piyomon cried out her name, trying to dodge around PicoDevimon, only to get the Pico Dart waved closer to her. Piyomon backed off a little, getting a better position, and blasted an emerald green flare of Magical Fire at PicoDevimon. He hung where he was for a heartbeat, then fell to the side, eyes dazed. Piyomon didn’t wait another moment, but charged forward to where Vamdemon had just slashed his own hand and held the wound above Sora’s open mouth. 

Almost at the same moment the first drops of blood touched Sora, Piyomon shrieked, a faint golden glow surrounding her. She reached out with her claws, still not close enough to touch her partner, then dropped downward, reverting first to a pink creature that Wizarmon recognized as a Pyocomon. Another heartbeat later, Nyokimon hovered there. 

Tailmon moved more quickly than he did, as Nyokimon collapsed back into an egg. She caught it in her paws and held it close, staring down at it with an expression in her eyes that Wizarmon could not read. 

“Keep that safe. It might be useful in the future,” Vamdemon said. The bulk of his attention still rested on Sora, and Wizarmon did not understand why. Surely the girl was already dead. Did something else happen to humans when they died? He wished that he’d made more of a study of them. He couldn’t even begin to imagine how much more he would need to know to accomplish anything now. He’d never imagined anything like this happening. 

Sora’s hand twitched a fraction. Wizarmon thanked every higher power he could imagine for the fact his mouth was not only sewn together but hidden, for he knew it would have hung open in shock otherwise. 

Slowly, she sat up, still held in Vamdemon’s arms. He set her down on the flagstones and she looked around, confused. “Master?” She murmured, looking back at Vamdemon. “I’m hungry, master. So hungry.” 

“I know.” Vamdemon gazed down on her with the same kind of pride that he showed in Tailmon on occasion. But then he gestured from her to the army, turning toward them. “This is Sora, my first Child. She is one of us now. One of _my_ kind.” 

Much went unspoken, but recognized: that she was not to be harmed, that Vamdemon would watch over her as she grew used to being what she was, that she was an undead horror now. 

* * *

Wizarmon breathed harder, shoving the rest of what happened as far from his conscious mind as he could. Sora had learned quickly, feeding first from some of the more humanoid Digimon, then from the lesser ones as she mastered her hunger. 

After that, everything simply grew worse. For everyone. 

He slowly pulled himself to his feet and stared outside the window. If he’d taken a chance, attacked, helped, done something, perhaps… 

He’d lost his chance then. But with the coming of the meeting with the resistance, he might have another one. And this time, he would not let it slip by. 

**To Be Continued**


	20. The Burning

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 20: The Burning  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,595||story: 53,222  
 **Genre:** Mimi x Sora/Sora x Mimi still exists, though they don't show up in this chapter. Mentions of vampirism throughout the story, as well as violence and death.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

Garurumon kept his nose tilted into the wind, wary of any and all scents that came their way. Yamato could defend himself fairly well, but the fight against Leomon and Kentauromon still unnerved both of them. Garurumon wasn’t going to let anything happen to his partner. 

Yamato wouldn’t admit that he was unnerved, at least not out loud. Garurumon knew him too well not to know it, though. He read it not just in the pungency of Yamato’s sweat, but in the set of his shoulders and the tense grip of Yamato’s hardened hands on his fur. 

It had been a long, long time since he’d seen his partner this upset, and the circumstances of then weren’t anything like now. This time there wasn’t anyone else in true danger, and especially not Takeru. This time it was the simple fact that Yamato’s opponents were people they’d once considered friends and allies, ones who had no idea of what had happened to them over the years. 

Garurumon didn’t hate Gennai. It disturbed him that Yamato did, but he understood it anyway. 

_Perhaps if we can ever defeat Vamdemon…_ Those were thoughts that neither he nor Yamato voiced openly, but which existed nevertheless. Piemon and Vamdemon remained allies, and that meant that like it or not, they had to on occasion work with the vampire who’d ruined all their lives. 

Not that growing up with Piemon had been especially _difficult_. He wasn’t the kind of parent Yamato had spoken of to him before, but he wasn’t cruel and heartless, either. It was knowing that four of their friends would never grow up that pained them all. 

For Garurumon, it was knowing that he’d failed Yamato when his partner had needed him that made him fight harder now. 

He knew full well Yamato wouldn’t ever say that he’d failed him. He wouldn’t even bring it up. It hadn’t been his fault, Yamato would say. He hadn’t been able to get to him. 

He’d tried. He’d tried with all of his might. 

Yamato blamed himself. But Yamato blamed himself for everything that he possibly could and always had. 

But it hadn’t been Yamato’s fault that day, not beyond one point, and that was a point no one could ever fault him on. No one but himself. 

* * *

Gabumon peered around the corner, holding his breath as he did. None of them wanted to make the slightest sound, not even that of breathing. Being caught out here would be…well, they didn’t know yet what Piemon might do to them, but none of them wanted it to happen. It was why they were escaping in the first place. 

“It’s clear,” he murmured, and the six of them hurried along. The corridors of Piemon’s castle could be absolute murder to navigate at the best of times, and Gabumon wasn’t sure if this even _was_ the best of times. 

They needed to get back to the human world. The last they’d seen of it had been when Vamdemon’s troops tossed them back through the portal, and nothing had looked good then. Seeing Taichi, Sora, Mimi, and Jou beside Vamdemon, each one pale and with pointy teeth, hadn’t improved that last sight at all. 

Gabumon worried about Yamato. He’d seen a dark and distant look to the other’s eyes ever since they’d found out what Vamdemon did to Sora. They all wanted to defeat the vampire Digimon, but Yamato wanted something more. 

Revenge. 

So that was why they were here now, making their way out of Piemon’s castle on a search for Gennai. He’d helped them get to the human world once before, and if anyone could help them again, it would most likely be him. 

Keeping quiet around here wasn’t that easy, though. The corridors rang with every step they took, and only by going slowly did they stand a chance of not raising the roof. Yamato inched his way along, having Gabumon or Tentomon or Patamon check every time they came to a crossing. A Digimon would be less likely to cause an uproar if one were seen than a human would be. 

He kept his attention on Takeru as well. The little boy kept to himself all this time, though more than once Gabumon had awoken to hear quiet sniffles coming from wherever he slept. Taichi’s turning had hurt him more than the little blond wanted to admit out loud. 

Gabumon wasn’t entirely certain he wanted to believe they’d actually made it outside when they saw the broad doorway, sunlight shimmering outside. But there it was, and two guards were positioned there. 

“We’re going!” Yamato declared, and Gabumon could already feel the tide of evolution swimming through him. They needed to get out of there, and two guards were nothing to Garurumon and Kabuterimon. 

Finding their way through the Digital World was even harder now than it had been before their trip to the human world. Twisted and changed from what it had been, with each section under the domination of one of the Dark Masters, and with plenty of Digimon who would do anything possible to bring them back to Piemon, it was even more dangerous to them. 

Yamato didn’t care about any of that. His one goal was to find Gennai and then find a way to destroy Vamdemon once and for all. 

The sun still rose and set in the Digital World; if the Dark Masters could affect that, they hadn’t yet. So as the sun drew near to the horizon, the small group of escapees looked for a place to rest in safety and find something to eat. 

It was a search that repeated itself for several days. They traveled as far as they could by day, hiding from Digimon or fighting them as necessary, and then resting at night. No matter how far they journeyed, the goal seemed impossible. They met no one that they knew and the few Digimon who were willing to talk instead of fight didn’t know where Gennai or any of their friends were. 

Gabumon didn’t keep track of how long they’d been gone from Piemon’s castle, but it had been several days, at the least. Long enough for them all to be tired, hungry, out of sorts, and not even close to being at their best. 

Koushirou tapped away on his computer, though exactly what he was trying to do escaped Gabumon. Contact Gennai, he presumed, but there wasn’t any hint that he was getting an answer. Still, Koushirou kept on trying. 

Takeru curled up around Patamon, trying to get a little sleep. The previous night hadn’t been good for that; they’d been interrupted twice by wandering Digimon, and Gabumon wasn’t sure if he had another evolution left in him after the last fight. 

Yamato leaned against a tree, staring up into the afternoon skies. He hadn’t said anything in a while, and Gabumon wondered if he should try to talk to him, to see what was going through his partner’s mind. 

They were all so tired that when a furious roar broke through the air, at best they looked up with a group of weary sighs. Gabumon moved closer to Yamato, while Tentomon and Patamon prepared to protect their partners as well. 

“Who is it?” Yamato glanced toward Koushirou, who put aside whatever it was he was working on to identify their attackers. 

“They’re Flare Lizamon!” Koushirou snapped out, head going up and down between his laptop’s screen and the flaming monsters approaching them. “Adult-level, they have multiple flame-based attacks, and are very, very dangerous.” 

Yamato clenched one fist before he started toward Takeru. “Yeah, I think we noticed that part. Gabumon!” 

Gabumon didn’t know if he had a fight left in him, but he’d give his all to save Yamato before he gave up. Calling on what strength he had left, he evolved to Garurumon and surged toward the attacking Digimon. He thought he could manage this much; going to WereGarurumon would be much more difficult, and he _really_ didn’t think he had the strength for _that_. 

But if he needed to, he would try. He just hoped that he wouldn’t need to. 

The battle raged back and forth, with Raging Infernos and Flame Hits striking against Fox Fires and Mega Blasters. Angemon hovered near the children, keeping them protected. That worked until another Flare Lizamon roared from the bushes, sending several blasts of fireborn bullets against the angel. Angemon dodged, thwacking a couple of them back at the newcomer, and prepared an attack of his own in retaliation. But before he could… 

“Angemon! Take care of him!” Yamato declared, pulling himself quickly to his feet and gesturing to Takeru. The command wasn’t necessary; it was built into every Digimon to guard their partner. But Yamato wanted to make certain that his brother stayed protected, no matter what. 

Yamato himself darted down the half overgrown path they’d wandered down earlier that day, picking up stray stones and sticks and throwing them at the Flare Lizamon that had tried to ambush them. 

“Hey! Fire-face! Matchstick!” Yamato shouted as loudly as he could. “Yeah, that’s right! Follow me!” 

He didn’t know if he could fight a Digimon head-on, and he didn’t care. He wanted to keep the monster away from Takeru until the others finished his companions and could come finish this one. 

With an angry roar, Flare Lizamon followed him, setting fire to some of the shrubbery as it did so. Yamato vaguely recalled having seen a small lake earlier and ran for it. It probably wouldn’t quench these flames, but it might at least annoy Flare Lizamon. Anything to hold him back for another precious few seconds. 

Yamato’s breath caught in his throat. A stitch seared up his side. His stomach screamed for food that he hadn’t been able to properly give it. And yet he kept on running, pausing only to throw more stones and sticks at Flare Lizamon, followed by insults. He didn’t know if this were one of the more intelligent Digimon who could understand what he shouted, but it followed him as if it were. 

He needed to hide somewhere. They’d found enough evidence that this area held some of what had once been File Island, so perhaps he could duck into one of those trees Sora had found back on their first day? If he could tell one of them from the other trees, he would have. 

But he couldn’t just hide without a plan, because then Flare Lizamon could go back to the others, and Yamato would not allow that. So he discarded the thought and kept running, even as his feet stumbled and tripped over small twigs and clumps of grass and he wanted to fall and not get up again. 

Takeru kept him going, the thought of Takeru and Koushirou and all the others. They couldn’t survive if he fell. They would try, but the losses they’d already suffered were bad enough. He couldn’t let it end like this. 

He fell. His feet simply couldn’t keep moving, no matter how much he tried. He pushed himself along another few inches, flopping over on his back to stare at the approaching Digimon. 

A flaming mouth opened and hellfire erupted all around Yamato as pillars of flame rose. He screamed, the blaze eating at him, singing his clothes and hair, some of the flames even seeming to crawl inside of his mouth, the fire scorching his throat and lungs. 

“Trump Swords!” The fire vanished and Yamato could see just clearly enough to watch as Piemon dropped down out of the sky to slice Flare Lizamon in half, finishing it off with a blast of raw energy. 

That was all he had the strength to see. He slumped down, eyes closing, just as Piemon moved over toward him, an odd sort of expression on what could be seen of his face. 

* * *

None of them would ever forget that moment, when Piemon arrived at the battle site, Yamato in his arms, singed and whimpering, and not even conscious. Piemon said nothing about how they’d fled from him. Instead, he gathered them up and brought them back to his castle. With Yamato in the condition he was, no one wanted to argue about it. Staying there would’ve meant that he died. 

Even more weeks passed unnoticed, while Piemon and other Digimon renowned for their healing skills worked on Yamato. The damage was serious; he would never be the same again no matter what they did. But he would be alive. 

Takeru remained by his brother’s side from the moment they returned to the palace, as did Gabumon. The only time either of them left was when the medical Digimon needed to work on Yamato alone. 

“Takeru…” That was the first word Yamato uttered when he finally opened his eyes and there was sense in them. But the way his voice _sounded_ … a low grind, harsh and pained, not at all like before. 

The damage had been too great, the healers said when Piemon questioned them about it. The fire seared Yamato’s vocal cords to the point he was lucky he could speak at all still. Only by a miracle had he survived the experience. 

So Yamato learned other ways. Even with the mask he took to wearing to cover the fire-scars on his face, he became very expressive with what parts of his features could be seen. The few words he spoke became the ones that were the most important for someone else to hear. 

And from that moment on, Piemon held his complete loyalty. Piemon saved him from Flare Lizamon, when he didn’t have to. He could’ve let them all die there. He’d made certain Yamato received the medical treatment that saved his life, and helped him recover afterward. He’d even trained Yamato in how to use a sword, with the argument that being able to defend oneself even without one’s partner was never a bad idea. 

Gabumon wondered on occasion if Yamato defended his position as Piemon’s right hand because he didn’t know what to do with himself if he didn’t have it. Takeru didn’t need him to play guardian anymore, and hadn’t for years now. Yamato needed to be needed, by someone. Even if that someone was an evil Digimon, it seemed. 

_We’ll have to stop them one day._ Gabumon refused to tell this to Yamato. He wanted his partner to figure it out for himself. But they couldn’t work with the Dark Masters forever. A breaking point would come. 

It would have to come after they found a way to defeat Vamdemon, because until then, Yamato and Takeru both worked completely for Piemon. Koushirou did as well, but he’d turned within himself over the years, and reveled in the tasks Piemon gave him, working on a regular basis with MugenDramon. 

Garurumon nudged Yamato briefly, and the blond looked up. They’d almost reached the spot chosen for their base camp. Rest and food would get them both in better condition to search for Gennai and to tackle Leomon and Kentauromon if they found them again. 

_If I have to… WereGarurumon._ He didn’t like using his more evolved form; it took a lot out of him, even after all these years of fighting. But something like that might well be what would take them both down, and then they could get answers. 

If those answers led to the ending of Yamato’s burning hatred against Gennai or to the final flowering of his rage, Garurumon didn’t know. But one way or another, this would be settled. 

**To Be Continued**


	21. The Barrier

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 21: The Barrier  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,640||story: 55,862  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** Mimi x Sora/Sora x Mimi still exists, though they don't show up in this chapter. Mentions of vampirism throughout the story, as well as violence and death.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

The city spread out before him, a wonderful vista of broken buildings, bent lampposts, and dying parks. Some few of those last held strong, tended either by his enslaved humans or likely by refugees who did their best to feed themselves from whatever sources they could manage. Vamdemon let them live; he could only provide for so many, and they were a food source for him and his flock as well. 

He did enjoy the sight, though. He didn’t get out into the rest of the world as often as he would’ve liked, but seeing all of this endless gray pleased him. The fog he’d summoned shortly after his arrival spread still and thick above the city, keeping the hideous sun away from him. 

Even as he admired the beauty of the world he’d created, Vamdemon leaped from rooftop to rooftop, searching for anything that might be a sign of Daisuke’s location. It wouldn’t be easy; Daisuke and whoever sheltered him had remained hidden ever since he’d escaped, and Vamdemon doubted they would let their guard down so easily simply because he’d chosen to search for his escaped pet now. 

It would’ve been convenient if they had, but Vamdemon didn’t believe in convenience. He preferred a good hunt to something being handed to him without a fight any day of the week. Keeping a blood pet had been something he’d done mostly for the amusement of it. 

There were other factors involved as well. Daisuke intrigued him on a level that few had. There hadn’t been much fear involved between them, and _everyone_ was afraid of him. Even his former enemies, whether they served him now or not, shivered at the sight of him. 

But not Daisuke. Daisuke struggled in his grip and made him fight to take his blood, even when Daisuke knew full well that Vamdemon would win the fight. Every time, from the first to the last, Daisuke resisted. Failing never bothered him. It just made him fight harder. 

_How can someone fight like that? How can he not give up? How could he never give up?_

He’d never encountered a human like Daisuke before, and Vamdemon wanted to make certain there weren’t any others like him. And Daisuke himself would remain by his side for the rest of eternity, whether he especially wanted to or not. 

The vampire perched himself on top of one building and took a long look around. Humans lived hidden somewhere in this city. It was merely a matter of finding their traces and waiting for them to show themselves. Sooner or later, he would find his prey. He had all the patience of those for whom death wasn’t an issue. 

“There! There! And there! That’ll teach you!” 

Vamdemon turned his attention to the unexpected voice, eyes narrowing a fraction behind his mask. Unexpected, but not at all unfamiliar. He knew Pinnochimon could well be in this area, but he hadn’t spared much thought toward finding him today. 

But seeing him there, slamming his mallet down on some unoffending rubble, Vamdemon turned in that direction and landed not that far from the former Dark Master. 

“Pinnochimon.” 

The puppet jumped back, mallet raised, until he saw who stood before him. For all that he was an Ultimate and Vamdemon was a Perfect level, they both knew who would win should they fight one another, and it wasn’t Pinnochimon. 

“Vamdemon.” He didn’t drop the mallet, though, and stared at Vamdemon as if he wished he _could_ win a fight against him. “What are you doing here?” 

“I feel if anyone should account for his actions, it’s you. This city belongs to me. I don’t recall telling you to destroy any part of it.” Not that he especially cared that much for the buildings Pinnochimon wrecked, but what was his was his and he didn’t want it ruined without his permission. 

Pinnochimon shrugged. “They were in my way.” 

Vamdemon hadn’t ever understood why Piemon wanted this child as one of his allies in the first place. While he hadn’t spent much time in Black Rosemon’s company, he did approve of putting her into Pinnochimon’s place. She was far more intelligent than Pinnochimon. 

He suspected at times that there were twigs that were more intelligent than Pinnochimon. 

“You’ll destroy nothing else in my realm without my permission.” And since his realm included the entire world, that would put an end to Pinnochimon running around crushing everything in sight. “What is it that you actually want here?” 

Pinnochimon’s grip tightened on his mallet. Vamdemon made little sign of it, but if the other attacked, he was ready to defend himself. 

“Just a place to stay that’s not the Digital World. I don’t like it there anymore.” 

Vamdemon didn’t believe that for a moment. There were few Digimon who didn’t prefer the Digital World over Earth. He stayed here because of the bargain between himself and Piemon, giving each of them one world to rule as they pleased. If he could find a way to dispose of Piemon, then he would gladly leave this place and return home. 

For now, however, he would let Pinnochimon think otherwise. “Go to the castle. I’ll have work for you there.” It wouldn’t be great work, but it would keep him under Vamdemon’s eye, and he would be able to inform Piemon that the loose cannon was under control again. 

Pinnochimon opened his mouth, protest written in every splinter of him, and Vamdemon turned his fiercest gaze onto him. There would be no questioning of his commands. Any Digimon who wanted to live in this world would report to him, no matter their level of evolution, or suffer destruction. 

“I’ve heard rumors that Digimon who die in this world don’t return to the Village of Beginnings,” Vamdemon said, his tone level and unamused. He’d spoken the truth; they couldn’t always get accurate reports from the Village, but what they did know seemed to indicate that was true. Exactly why it was, no one knew. But that meant any Digimon who died here would never be reborn. 

Pinnochimon slung his mallet over one shoulder and turned away. “Fine.” Vamdemon hadn’t heard too many verbal pouts, but that certainly ranked among them. 

As Pinnochimon began to slump away in the vague direction of the castle, Vamdemon called him back. “Have you seen any humans around?” He wouldn’t bother describing Daisuke; the boy had likely changed from the time they’d spent together, and if Pinnochimon had seen a handful of humans who weren’t the former Chosen in his entire life, Vamdemon didn’t know about it. 

“No. Should I have?” Pinnochimon didn’t look as if he would’ve given a human so much as the time of day if he had seen them. 

“Perhaps. There are some around here.” He didn’t know every lurking area for them, but they were there. Humans could never be completely exterminated from a place, no matter how hard anyone tried. 

Perhaps while he was hunting for his former blood pet, he’d pick up a snack or two. Preferably while leaving witnesses, ones that could take tales back to wherever Daisuke had hidden himself. 

The more Vamdemon thought on that, the more it appealed to him. He dismissed Pinnochimon with an absent gesture and took to the skies again, rolling the plan over in his mind. 

Daisuke would never surrender his _will_ to him, not without dying first. But he would surrender _himself_ to him, without a doubt, under the right circumstances. He’d seen it in Daisuke’s eyes before, when he’d watched the slaves in the pen being fed from by the others of the pack. 

_The question will be how to get the word to him._ Vamdemon turned more and more thoughts over and came to a conclusion. He needed a spy. Or a messenger. The term he used didn’t matter, not so long as the proper results were achieved. 

Which meant he needed to return to the castle and have a long chat with Jou about something involving the pen captives that wasn’t dinner. 

* * *

Taichi crouched in a fall of shadow created by two broken buildings leaning against one another. There wasn’t much space there, but he curled up in what was, watching the castle from a distance. 

Spying on Wizarmon wouldn’t be easy. The other moved like a shadow, staying out of everyone’s way whenever he could. Taichi didn’t know if he actually had something to hide, or if he just wanted to avoid people. Either way, the vampire refused to rest until he either could clear his suspicions of Wizarmon’s loyalties or confirm them. 

Finding the time to track Wizarmon wasn’t too hard; what was difficult was making certain Wizarmon went anywhere in order to be tracked. What was even more difficult would be tracking him without being seen. This wasn’t like the old days of the city, where he could’ve followed someone without standing out from the crowd. There weren’t any crowds to stand out from here, unless one counted crowds of Digimon, and he stood out from them by not being one. 

Taichi seldom thought about the days when he’d been human. That was so long ago, or so it seemed to him. He vaguely recalled that he’d fought the change when it first happened, but then the dark enfolded him, and when he opened his eyes again, he’d known without a shadow of a doubt that Vamdemon was his master and he would serve him forever. 

He tensed suddenly at the sight of Wizarmon flying by, clearly bent on going somewhere with all due speed. He didn’t waste any time, but slipped out after him, taking only the few moments necessary to figure out which way he was going. 

_There!_ Taichi darted after him, deciding the best way to stay hidden was to hide behind whatever remains of buildings he could find and to keep low. It didn’t look as if Wizarmon spent much time checking behind him, which would make this that much easier. Taichi wondered if this could mean the other was off on some innocent trip altogether, collecting herbs or whatever it was he did. 

The farther they went into the city, the more he began to wonder about that. He wasn’t a plant specialist by any means, but so far as he knew, there weren’t any gardens out here, wild or otherwise. He vaguely recalled some of these buildings as they’d been before the conquest, and thought they might’ve been important somehow. 

_Aren’t there humans living in some of these still?_ Some of the reports Jou brought up at conferences now and then mentioned something to that effect, but he hadn’t listened to them all that well. Humans could live anywhere they liked and so long as he had plenty when it came feeding time, he didn’t care. 

So if humans did live here, what was Wizarmon doing coming this way? Some sort of trade? Taichi hardly believed he would be there to reinforce Vamdemon’s domination of the world. It wasn’t Wizarmon’s style, no matter where his loyalties lay in the end. 

_Perhaps he wants someone to practice his spells on?_ That seemed a little more likely, though Taichi wouldn’t be convinced until he actually saw that. Wizarmon had something of a soft heart. He’d seen that clearly when he hadn’t wanted to burn Pinnochimon alive. 

Taichi paused as he spied Wizarmon heading into the ruins of a building that struck some kind of a chord deep within him. He hesitated before following, eyes skimming over the wreck of it. What struck him the most was the large sphere sunk before the building. He couldn’t remember seeing this anywhere before. 

_It’s…it’s…_ He shook his head. The fuzz of death and rebirth made it impossible for him to recall some things at times, and he seldom cared. Now wasn’t going to be one of those times. Whatever this place had been in the past, it was where Wizarmon was going now, which meant it was where _he_ would go. 

Only as he started to slide into the nearest crevice, something stopped him. Nothing his eyes could see, but a very definite barrier that he couldn’t cross. 

He pressed against it with the tips of his fingers, frowning. _What is this?_ The only thing he could think to compare it to was solid air, or perhaps a glass shield of some kind. He banged on it several times before trying to drive his fist through it. 

It had been years since he’d experienced genuine pain. Being unable to be harmed by almost anything contributed to that. But as his fist bounced off the barrier, Taichi yelped, staring in disbelief. 

_Wizarmon. Wizarmon did this. I don’t know how, but he **did**!_

Taichi circled around, checking to see how high and how far around the barrier extended. It curved up at the top to come down the other side, protecting the whole interior. If there were ways inside, he would have to find a way down in order to get to them. 

_He could still have some kind of reason for it. At least one he’d tell Vamdemon. I need to know what he’s doing before I tell the master._

Taichi hated having to wait. He’d done enough of that before Wizarmon came out. But he couldn’t see any other answer at the moment. He would have to stay in the area to question Wizarmon once he came out of there. 

That didn’t mean he had to sit right here, though. He had no idea of how long Wizarmon would be playing around with whatever he was doing in there, and he wasn’t going to let himself get bored. There was no telling what he’d find out if he explored the area. Perhaps it would even clear up some of the confusion that lurked in the back of his mind still. 

Careful not to move too quickly, in the interests of avoiding attention by any lurking watchers, Taichi leaped from one to the other of the broken shards of buildings. He kept an eye out for anything that might look like signs of humans, but saw very little. A few scrapes here that could’ve been made by dragging a cart of some kind, cold blackened holes that might’ve been firepits weeks or months earlier, and nothing more. 

Something fell somewhere. Taichi tensed at once, hands tightening into fists without a moment’s thought. It could be nothing. It could be something worth checking into. 

He took off into the skies as easily as a leaf blowing upward on the breeze. Here he had a much better view of the area, though he still couldn’t see inside. The building wasn’t really fit for habitation, but the damage to the roof had happened in such a way that the gaps he could see through didn’t show him anything going on. 

Taichi checked out the whole area that he could see from up here, looking for any sort of hint as to what he’d heard. He reran the sound in his head, trying to identify it. It hadn’t been a footfall nor quite like the sound of someone kicking something. Just something falling somewhere. It could have been nothing more than a brief gust of wind knocking something over, or a wild animal doing the same. 

He started to let himself relax and settle down into another dark hiding place. There were humans in the area, he realized, catching a bit of their scent. He would wait here until he could see them, and then have a bite to eat while waiting for Wizarmon. He wouldn’t put it past the other to have set this up for some nefarious purpose of his own. And once he found out what it was, Wizarmon would wish that he _had_ betrayed Vamdemon. 

**To Be Continued**


	22. The Choices

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 22: The Choices  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2.661||story: 58,523  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** Mimi x Sora/Sora x Mimi still exists, though they don't show up in this chapter. Mentions of vampirism throughout the story, as well as violence and death.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

Wizarmon touched down inside the ruined building, all of his senses, normal and mage-related, alert to the slightest hint of anyone else around. He could feel other presences, human ones, and nodded to himself. The resistance people were here already. 

There was another presence, however, that had followed him from the area around the castle, and he didn’t trust that. He couldn’t be sure if it were human, vampire, or Digimon, but he had a way to deal with it nevertheless. A wave of his wand and a few moments of intense concentration created a barrier all around the building, one that wouldn’t let anyone in without his approval. Anyone who tried would meet with resistance much like a solid wall. It would sap at his energy to keep it up for more than a few minutes, but he couldn’t let this meeting be overheard. 

Slowly he moved forward until he found a clear area. There wasn’t much of it; the whole building rang of emptiness and destruction. Once, perhaps, it had been a hub of human effort, and from what types of ruins he could see, he thought it had been one of their communication places. 

_That’s right. This used to be the Fuji TV station._ Some humans had gathered there during the initial war, fighting to the last. Wizarmon didn’t know what became of them, other than they’d lost horribly. 

“Stay where you are.” A voice that sounded vaguely familiar rang through the air, and Wizarmon froze. “Who are you?” 

“I am Wizarmon. Gennai sent me here to meet with you, if you’re of the human resistance.” Wizarmon made no moves. He wasn’t sure if they had a weapon of some kind aimed at him, or if they had any weapons at all, but he didn’t want to frighten them more than they already were. 

Soft whispers, ones that came from at least two or three other voices besides the one that spoke up first, echoed around. Wizarmon did his best not to listen in, affording them what privacy he could. Finally the first voice spoke up again. 

“Who do you serve?” 

“No one but myself. I work with Gennai and I fake servitude to Vamdemon, but my loyalties are my own,” Wizarmon replied. He spoke the utter truth; these humans had been betrayed by Digimon and conquered by them. He didn’t want to start things off with this potential new alliance by lying. 

Footsteps echoed, and one by one, humans came out to where he could see them. There were six of them, two female and four male, and all of them stared at him, cautious and untrusting. 

Wizarmon looked from one of them to the other, and when his eyes landed on one of the males, a shiver unlike any he’d ever felt in his entire life ran down his spine. This one was clearly one of the oldest of the group, with messy dark blue hair and eyes, taller than all the rest as well. He carried a knife by his side, and had a backpack as well. Like all of them, he looked ready to fight or flee at a moment’s notice. 

“And you all would be?” Wizarmon made no extra moves. His attention kept drifting back to the tall one, however, no matter how much he tried to look at any of the others. 

“Ken.” One of the other males spoke up, and Wizarmon noticed that he looked much like the one that he himself kept looking at. “This is Miyako, Iori, Jun, Daisuke, and Osamu.” The last was the one that kept drawing his attention, and Wizarmon filed the name away without even thinking about it. 

Then one of the other names spoken tugged at his attention and he looked toward the one known as Daisuke. “Are you the one who was once Vamdemon’s blood pet?” 

Daisuke stiffened, bringing up the weapon he carried. Wizarmon caught enough of a glimpse of it to recognize it for an inexpertly made crossbow. That answered more questions without him even having to ask. 

“I’ll take that as a yes. I have no intentions of telling Vamdemon anything about this meeting. I want him gone as much as you do. We Digimon do _not_ all support him, though most of the ones here do, or won’t go against him.” Wizarmon shook his head. He didn’t know how many of them would try to help the humans if it came down to a fight. Probably not nearly enough. 

“What is it you can do for us?” Ken said after a few uncomfortable moments. “We want to get rid of him. Is there a way to do it?” 

Wizarmon thought his answer over with care. “I don’t know,” he said at last. “I’m sure that there is, because Gennai wouldn’t have called the original Chosen Children if there wasn’t, but now? I’m not so certain.” 

“What happened to them?” Miyako asked, taking a small step forward, the eager light of knowledge in her eyes. “We’ve never really known what happened.” 

Wizarmon sighed. Of all the questions, they had to ask the one that struck into his heart the most. “It’s a long story. In short, Vamdemon captured one of them, and transformed her into his vampire slave. She passed the curse on to others, and they became his vampire pack. Without being a united team, the others were able to be captured, and ended up sent back to the Digital World, where they live to this day.” 

“We can do storytime later,” Daisuke said, speaking the words as if biting them off. “Would a stake through his heart kill Vamdemon? I’m willing to try it.” 

“No one’s ever tried it, so far as I know. But Digital World vampires aren’t like human vampires. Digimon can be reborn, from a place called the Village of Beginnings. The last I heard, it was still free, but that could change at any moment. I can never be certain of what information I get from there.” 

Wizarmon hated seeing the look that passed over all their faces at that. He struggled to find some form of hope he could give them, something that would spark the fight once again. 

“If he were to be reborn there, he would start off as a young, powerless Digimon. He might not make the same choices and he might not even remember who he used to be. Some Digimon do, and some don’t.” He wasn’t certain if he’d ever been recycled himself or not. If he had been, he was one of those who didn’t remember it. “If he did remember, he could be watched to make certain he didn’t cause any more trouble.” 

“I’d rather he couldn’t come back at all,” Daisuke grumbled. “Isn’t there any way to make sure about that?” 

“None that I know of. But Gennai might have a few ideas,” Wizarmon said. 

Silence reigned for another few moments, broken this time by Iori. “We need to stop him no matter what. We can watch him or whatever else we need to do once he’s no longer ruling our world.” 

Miyako nodded slowly. “He’s right. This has gone on long enough.” 

“Then how do we do it?” Daisuke wanted to know, tilting his head to the side. “Because I can tell you that he’s not going to politely sit down and let me slam a stake into him.” 

A small smile flickered over Ken’s lips, though it held little of amusement. “That would be too convenient anyway. But we still need to get a good test of the crossbow, and if it does work…” 

Wizarmon could see the logic from that. If they could place a crossbow bolt through Vamdemon’s heart, presuming he had one, that would solve a great many of their problems. It would be a step in the right direction if nothing else. 

He considered what else they might need for this, a slight frown tugging his lips downward. “Vamdemon is a Virus-type Digimon. Vaccine-types are the most powerful against them, and there are not that many of those available now. I once believed that an angel Digimon might be able to help. I don’t know if that’s possible now.” 

“Why not?” Osamu asked, the first time he’d spoken during the whole encounter. Wizarmon found his voice familiar, as if he’d waited to hear it his entire life. He couldn’t remember ever having had the same desire that Tailmon had told him of once, but he thought this might be how she felt. Or had felt. 

“Because there are only two that I know of. One of them isn’t in this world anymore. He’s in the Digital World, and has been under Piemon’s care for the last ten years.” Wizarmon wished he’d asked more about that now. Perhaps he would when he next spoke to Gennai. “And the other is in this world but isn’t available for even worse reasons.” 

Jun looked every bit as interested in this as Miyako had been. This wasn’t surprising; humans didn’t exactly get news of what was going on with Digimon, and since this could help them free their world, they wanted every scrap of information that they could get hold of. “What do you mean?” 

How to answer that? There was so much that he would have to explain to have it all make sense, and he wasn’t even sure of all the details himself. He did his best, however. “The way a Digimon evolves depends upon what happens to them. Being partnered to a human can help evolution, but that’s only one of the factors involved. Every Digimon has a different path that their evolution could take.” He refused to think of how it was possible that his own could involve Piemon. That would be a nightmare for another day. “This Digimon was one of those who could have become an angel Digimon, under the right circumstances.” 

“And those circumstances can’t happen anymore?” Osamu asked, leaning forward with an intent gleam in his eyes. Here was someone intelligent, who wanted to put that intelligence to good use. Wizarmon wondered what the human would think of his own research projects. Perhaps they would find out… 

“Not so far as I know. But there are other problems as well. I cannot be certain, but I feel Tailmon was meant to be partnered to a special Chosen Child, one who Vamdemon knew something of, and wished destroyed at all costs. For the most part, he’s succeeded in that.” 

Ken’s eyes narrowed suddenly and he shifted forward as well. “Would this have something to do with a girl being held prisoner by him?” 

Now how in the world had he known about that? Wizarmon wondered if they had their own spies in the castle somehow. There were some humans who worked there, in very low level positions. 

“The one who would’ve been the Child of Light is his prisoner, yes. She’s only allowed out on rare occasions, and no one but her jailer spends any significant time with her.” 

Ken glanced from him to the others, started to open his mouth, then closed it again, attention darting back to Wizarmon. “Is there any way that we could get her out of there?” 

All of these questions that he didn’t know the answers to! But Wizarmon tried anyway. “It may be possible, but it wouldn’t be easy. I’ve been researching spells that would be useful for doing so.” The issue with those was that they very clearly would be his magic, and he wasn’t yet ready to end his spying on Vamdemon. There was too much yet that he could learn, if he put himself into the right places. 

“None of this is ever going to be easy, so I think we can stop saying it won’t be. We already know that.” Daisuke ran one finger up and down his crossbow. “So we want to kill Vamdemon and get this girl out of the dungeon. Probably not in that order, though.” 

“Her jailer might be willing to help us, if I can speak to her.” Wizarmon chose his words with the utmost care. “It will be chancy, but a risk I wish to take.” He wouldn’t leave LadyDevimon there. He knew a spark of Tailmon still lived deep within her, and he hoped there would be a chance to bring her back out again. 

“Who is her jailer?” There was a clear hint of anticipation in Ken’s voice; he knew something about this. Wizarmon still couldn’t guess how he knew. 

“LadyDevimon.” 

Ken glanced toward Daisuke, a quick nod, little more than the briefest tilt of his head. Daisuke’s shoulders twitched as if he shrugged, then he looked back at Wizarmon. 

“We still need to test the crossbow. Our best chance is doing it on one of the pack. And we need to get rid of them anyway. Any way you can help with that?” 

“Perhaps. Ever since someone shot at him, Vamdemon’s kept the pack close to the castle.” Wizarmon did not miss the triumphant smirk that flicked over Daisuke’s features. He’d found the mysterious hunter. Not that he was one little bit surprised. “If I hear about them going back out, I’ll see if I can get a message to you somehow.” 

Osamu nodded, pulling a scrap of well-worn paper from his pocket and handing it over. “This is how Gennai gets in touch with me. It’s safe from being detected by anything Vamdemon can come up with, or so he tells me.” 

Well, he hadn’t expected that. He could only hope it would work with his own mishmash set up of a communications device. “I’ll try it once I’ve returned to the castle.” And he wouldn’t mind at all having a way to keep in touch with Osamu. 

“Is there anything else that we can work out?” Miyako asked. 

“I think we’ve covered everything important,” Daisuke said, a frown forming between his eyebrows. “We just have to figure out how to do it all without all of us getting killed.” 

That would be a very good thing in Wizarmon’s opinion. Then he remembered. “I think that I might have been followed coming here. I set up a firewall to make certain whoever it was didn’t get in to see what we were up to, and I’ll make certain that they don’t learn anything once I leave. But you’d best watch your own backs as well.” 

All six of them tensed up, Daisuke’s hand going to the knife he wore on his belt. “And you didn’t think to tell us this _before_?” 

“Excuse me if I feel saving your world is slightly more important than a follower who can’t hear anything,” Wizarmon snapped, eyes flashing underneath his hat. “Whoever it is can’t get in here, and my loyalty to Vamdemon has gone unquestioned for longer than you have known Digimon existed. I do not think this is something for you to worry about.” 

Daisuke’s grip tightened on the hilt of his blade. “I’ll decide what I worry about.” 

Jun rested one hand on his shoulder. “Daisuke. Calm down. He’s right, and if anything goes wrong, it’s going to cause him more trouble than it does us.” That wasn’t how Wizarmon would’ve put it, but it was true all the same. 

“We’ll meet back here in a week and see what else has happened,” Osamu decided. Wizarmon nodded; that should be time enough to approach LadyDevimon and feel her out concerning getting Hikari out of there. Not to mention it would be more than time enough for Vamdemon to decide to let the pack roam free once more. He’d be the last person to complain if one of them ended up with a sharp piece of wood through them. 

“Good luck,” he said by way of farewell, and headed back outside. Now he just needed to think up plausible lies for the benefit of whoever lurked there. 

**To Be Continued**


	23. The Gift

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 23: The Gift  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,554||story: 61,077  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** Mimi x Sora/Sora x Mimi still exists, though they don't show up in this chapter. Mentions of vampirism throughout the story, as well as violence and death.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

Her lungs ached for another breath of fresh air. Or fresher; though the air outside wasn’t the sweetly-scented stuff she remembered from her earliest childhood, it was still an improvement over what she had to deal with here in Vamdemon’s dungeons. But everything out there would be better than what he had to deal with here. 

The only exception for that was her company. She couldn’t imagine not wanting to have LadyDevimon with her. Perhaps having other people around wouldn’t be such a bad thing, but she wouldn’t give up LadyDevimon, no matter what. 

She didn’t know what anyone else, what other humans, might think about this, but she didn’t care, either. They didn’t understand what it was like for her. In all this time, only LadyDevimon cared about her. Even if it was just at Vamdemon’s order, the Digimon still did her best, even to taking her outside. 

Unsurprisingly, her thoughts turned back to the trip and the person that they’d met there. _Ken_ , her memories supplied. The first person who wasn’t LadyDevimon who’d she’d spoken to in roughly a decade. The first other human, at least. Most of the Digimon who came around didn’t bother to say a word to her for any number of reasons. She didn’t count the vampires as human and she didn’t think they counted themselves either. 

Would she ever see him again? She didn’t dare to hope for it. If Vamdemon learned about the meeting, she didn’t doubt for a moment that he wouldn’t rest until Ken and any of his friends were crushed completely. That was LadyDevimon hadn’t said a word about it, and why she’d warned her to do the same. 

She tried not to toss and turn on her cot. She didn’t want to be restless. She would’ve preferred to doze off into her customary daze, to let the hours slip by without even noticing them. But over and over she relived not just the meeting with Ken but every other moment of the trip. 

Her memories of the city before the invasion and her capture and imprisonment were thin and weak at best. But she was almost certain it had never looked anything like this, with shattered and ruined buildings in every direction, thick gray fog that human eye couldn’t penetrate everywhere, and no sign of a blue sky so far as she looked. 

That had to be Vamdemon’s doing, that last. _All_ of it was his doing to some degree or other but to blot the sun from the sky? Only a vampire would want to do that. 

She remembered sunlight. The more she thought of those days the clearer the memories became. They weren’t very strong memories but with effort she could remember the warmth of sun when she played outside and how much stronger the light was than torchlight or lanterns. If she let herself think of other things for a few moments, then the memories slipped away again. She didn’t know if that was Vamdemon’s doing or not. She didn’t put it past him to do anything he could to crush what little hope she could dredge up in this world. 

He’d done it for everyone else, after all. He lived off making certain no one ever believed they could defeat him. 

She hadn’t thought about fighting him in years. Doing so again surprised her. She didn’t think that she could. He was so much stronger than she was, able to wave aside attacks that would’ve destroyed others with a twitch of his fingers. And that assumed that anyone could even manage to attack him in the first place. The whispered words of those Digimon who passed through on one errand or another told of how his pack defended him with their lives. Or unlives. 

The wording didn’t matter at all. What mattered was that her brother was one of those who’d throw himself in front of this monster to protect him. That twisted at the depth of her heart. Taichi should’ve been fighting to protect the world. She _knew_ it. He was, or had been, the kind of person who would fight for other people. Defending the world would’ve been completely his style. 

That was all Vamdemon’s fault as well. She didn’t know if she could ever fight him, but if she did, then she would do it to avenge her brother. Her real brother, not the monster she’d seen who sucked the blood out of people and used her brother’s name and face. 

Staying down here didn’t provide that many options for fighting anyone, regardless of how much she wanted to. That desire flickered in the deepest part of her soul for now, little more than a bank of glowing coals. But, she had to admit to herself, that was a little better than what she’d had not all that long ago. That desire had been a small pile of gray shadows, nothing more. 

The trip outside had sparked it. She wanted it again. She wanted more. She wanted air and sunlight and tree and people. She wanted…Digimon. If she, who’d spent ten years of her life held captive by the worst Digimon of them all, with one of his servants as her only constant guardian, could want them in her life, then couldn’t other people? Surely all Digimon couldn’t be like Vamdemon. LadyDevimon wasn’t. She was almost certain that the little white cat who’d been there before hadn’t been. Wizarmon wasn’t either. She believed that devoutly. 

They were only a handful of examples but she wanted to believe there were more. There was an entire world of Digimon. Just like some humans were good and some weren’t, Digimon had to be the same. 

She wondered what the Digital World would be like. Did it have sunlight or was it foggy like this world now? Had he brought the fog just to conceal himself or did he want to make it like his own world? 

There were so many questions and for the first time in forever she began to feel as if she really wanted the answers. 

But she couldn’t get them here and she had no idea of how to get out of here. LadyDevimon wouldn’t take her completely away. Little trips, yes, but anything more than that couldn’t be hoped for. Should be hoped for, perhaps, but it was a vain hope, one that wouldn’t ever be realized. 

Hope and light…two things that she found she wanted more than ever before. And neither one of them seemed to be in reach at the moment. She wanted hopes that made sense, that stood a chance of coming true. She hoped for light but there wasn’t any way she could gain it. 

But she couldn’t bring herself to entirely give up the hope just yet. Maybe there would be a way. Just because she didn’t know of it didn’t mean it wasn’t there. It just meant she didn’t know about it for now. 

She opened her eyes and looked up now at the barred window so far out of her reach. It served one purpose only, making certain the air in here remained as fresh as the rest of the castle. But now she let herself drink in the pale light that trickled inside. She’d seldom bothered before. It hadn’t meant anything. Nothing had meant anything until now. 

And it had all changed because of that one little trip outside. If she’d know how this would work out she would’ve tried or it that much sooner. 

She wanted to go again so very much. 

* * *

Something had changed with Hikari. It worried LadyDevimon more than she wanted to admit. It hadn’t been more than a few days since the trip outside, but the girl still moved more than she had before, her eyes going up to the barred window more often, and when they weren’t there, instead of laying down and resting, she frequently would sit and watch LadyDevimon herself. 

She still didn’t speak very often and that eased the demon Digimon’s fears a fraction. She wasn’t the only guard; just the one that Hikari was closest to. If any of the Veggimon or some of the hidden guards heard her saying anything extra, especially if she mentioned anything that LadyDevimon _thought_ she might want to talk about concerning that trip, then she didn’t know how Vamdemon-sama might react. 

No, she knew. She knew very well. She just didn’t want to think about it. He might well be more interested in finding his lost blood pet but for this, he would turn his attention here. For that matter, as soon as he found Daisuke, he would glance this way at the first sign of trouble. And Vamdemon-sama had a very wide definition of ‘trouble’. 

He couldn’t feed off Hikari. He wouldn’t be able to turn her into one of his flock, either. But he could _hurt_ her. There were more ways to do that than there had once been stars in the sky. All he would have to do was let Taichi take care of her for a few days, and what spark she’d managed to recover would extinguish itself, never to rise again. 

_I…should get her out of here._ The idea worried her. It was the _right_ thing to do, it always had been, but there had never been anywhere for them to go. The humans wouldn’t take them in, and any Digimon would definitely turn them back over to Vamdemon-sama in hopes of a reward. 

That might well be better than what could happen if any of the pack found out that she’d tried to take away Vamdemon’s prized prisoner. They would probably both end up hoping that all Vamdemon did was let Taichi watch over his sister. 

Perhaps not unsurprisingly, her thoughts turned toward that boy they’d met. _Ichijouji Ken._ There was something about him that had drawn Hikari as surely as a moth was drawn to a flame. Could he… 

That couldn’t be true, could it? They were all gone, all defeated, crushed either to Vamdemon’s will or Piemon’s. She knew they’d never rise up again; it wasn’t possible. The pack were all undead now, Vamdemon’s slaves for the duration of their existence. Piemon had done even worse, from all reports. Those three would never be able to think for themselves again. 

There couldn’t be any Chosen Children left. She remembered the information they’d gathered in the old days, before Vamdemon had his triumph. There’d been eight of them, no more and no less. She’d never found out what Vamdemon did with the Crest of Light, though she thought he still kept it somewhere in the castle, where Hikari could never find it. 

She didn’t know what would happen if she did. 

LadyDevimon glanced toward where Hikari sat on her cot, back pressed against the gray stone wall, head tilted back to the weak light as it streamed in. So different now than the child who’d been thrown in here all those years ago, who’d fought and demanded to be released, to have her brother back, her family back… 

Something tight and hard in LadyDevimon’s heart clenched. _I wanted to kill her, once._ And yet the moment that their eyes had met, she had known that no matter what, she couldn’t do it. She could never have raised a paw against this girl. 

_I…I waited for someone…didn’t I?_ That had been so long ago that she’d almost forgotten. Back before Vamdemon found her and she began her training that led her to being an Adult and then a Perfect. She’d sworn her loyalty to him; he’d given her purpose and shelter, both very hard to come by in the Digital World. 

Wizarmon would know, she realized. They’d met back then. She’d told him…things. Things she no longer remembered for herself. 

Her scarlet eyes darkened a fraction. _I did worse than kill her. I protected her, but only because I wasn’t allowed to kill her in the end. I kept her here instead of taking her somewhere where she would be safe._

That had to change. That had to _stop_. Whatever the cost, she had to pay it in the end. Perhaps it was all that she deserved for not having done her proper duty in so long. And the more she began to consider it, the more she saw the sparks of life flickering in Hikari’s eyes and features, the more she knew what her duty was. And it wasn’t to Vamdemon. It had _never_ been to him. 

This realization didn’t change certain facts, as much as she wished it did. Taking Hikari out of here posed a risk that she would have to deal with. Neither humans nor Digimon would give them shelter. 

_Then I’ll find it for myself._ If there were places where humans could live in safety, at least so much as was possible in these days, then she would be able to find such a place as well. Perhaps she could even bargain with them, or Hikari could, eventually, for food and clothing. She didn’t know what else humans needed. Hikari had managed all this time with food and a place to rest, but she needed more. 

_Companionship._ Her reaction to Ken showed that she needed that more than anything else. It would take time to get them settled in somewhere, but it would _have_ to happen. 

Perhaps they couldn’t defeat Vamdmeon like this, but if that stray thought could somehow be right, if Ken could somehow be a Chosen Child, then perhaps there were others. Perhaps they could fight Vamdemon and bring peace and freedom back to this world. 

Another thought crossed her mind, and she welcomed it. She didn’t know where all of those necessities for humans might be in this world, but she did know where at least some of them were in another world. And there, it would be that much harder for Vamdemon to find them. Hikari could truly grow there, in a world that held much more light than this one, even while it lay in the grip of the Dark Masters. 

Perhaps she could even persuade them to help her. She hadn’t spoken to Black Rosemon before, had only met her a few times when Piemon and Vamdemon met, when she had been Tailmon and Black Rosemon had been LadyDevimon. But those few times might well be enough. It would be risky. It could end with her reformatting. It could put Hikari into danger that she couldn’t get her out of. 

But it was better than doing nothing, which was all she’d spent the last few years doing. It would take time, and she would have to do her best to make certain Vamdemon didn’t know where they were. The less people who knew, the better. 

She would start with Wizarmon. He would help her; she believed that with all of her being. 

And the fact the less people who knew the better included Hikari. LadyDevimon found herself smiling at the thought. For ten years the girl hadn’t had any gifts, any sort of hope to treasure. And while LadyDevimon couldn’t give her that hope now, if this plan worked, then she would have a gift to give her that would surpass all the others in two worlds. 

The gift of freedom. 

**To Be Continued**


	24. The Risks

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 24: The Risks  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,552||story: 63,629  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** Mimi x Sora/Sora x Mimi still exists, though they don't show up in this chapter. Mentions of vampirism throughout the story, as well as violence and death.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

Osamu knew he should be worried. Someone they didn’t know about was out there, and only Wizarmon and whatever lies he could spin stood between them and possible agonizing death. It could even be _Vamdemon_. From what little he knew of the vampire overlord, he would probably be more likely to blow their little meeting area to the heavens than simply wait outside, and that was if Wizarmon’s spell even protected against him. 

He wanted to think that it did. He wanted to think that the meeting had gone as well as he hoped it did. But until they knew for certain, he knew that _should_ be worried. 

And yet, despite how much he should be, he knew that he wasn’t. His thoughts trailed back to the wizard Digimon, to the way his hands had clenched and unclenched around his staff, the way he’d confessed to what little he knew or could do to help, but how he _would_ help whenever he could… 

Wizarmon intrigued him. More than that, he wanted to _talk_ to him, to get to know him, to be…friends? 

Osamu tasted the word in his thoughts, turning it over and over, trying to figure out if it felt the way he thought that it did. It seemed to; he couldn’t understand it, but it felt…right. It felt as if Wizarmon were a part of himself that he’d never known was missing until he found it. 

_He’s a Digimon._ He didn’t hate all Digimon, not like some people he knew. But he’d never thought of having one as a friend. They were creatures that should depart his world as soon as possible, perhaps with a thanks if they’d somehow helped to defeat Vamdemon, and that was it. 

The thought of never seeing Wizarmon again didn’t precisely horrify him, but he wondered if he could really do that. Go forever without seeing or speaking to someone that could offer so much… 

“Osamu?” Jun prodded him with one finger. “Are you all right? You look a little lost.” 

That was somewhat how he felt, but he shook his head. “I’m fine.” _Better not tell her._ Jun wasn’t a Digimon hater, but these thoughts simply _fascinated_ him and he wanted time to consider them in peace before he expressed them to anyone who wasn’t Ken. 

Ken almost always understood him, no matter what. It hadn’t always been like this; in the days before the invasion, when he was just starting to get a name as a genius, he’d ignored his brother far more than what was right. 

He didn’t want his world to suffer as it had underneath the heel of that monster, but there were times Osamu couldn’t help but be glad that he didn’t treat Ken like that anymore. Family and those other precious ones were too important to ignore for the sake of a few extra grade points. 

“What do you see?” He pulled himself fully into the present and looked at where Daisuke and Ken had crawled to the top of a pile of rubble, apparently looking out to see what Wizarmon was up to. 

“It’s _Yagami_ ,” Daisuke spat, making the name sound like the deepest of insults. He fingered his crossbow, and Osamu knew what had to be going through his mind. They needed to trim down the pack as much as possible, and here was Vamdemon’s right-hand vampire, ripe for the plucking. 

He wiggled his way up next to Daisuke and set a hand on his shoulder before the other could do more than start to bring the crossbow to bear. “Now’s not the right time.” 

“Any time is right for this.” Daisuke started to pull away, until Ken’s hand rested on his other shoulder. 

“Osamu’s right. Not while Wizarmon is there. He’s our insight into Vamdemon’s army and we can’t put him at risk. Not without telling him about it first.” 

Osamu didn’t see a lot of teenagers pout these days, but Daisuke still managed to pull it off. 

“Don’t worry. You’ll get your chance.” They all knew they had to let Daisuke kill one of the vampires, if not all of them. His grudge was the most personal and if he didn’t get that chance, no one doubted he’d go and take it for himself. 

Osamu glanced back through the cracks in the cement blocks. He couldn’t help but be more than a little worried about Wizarmon now anyway, and not just because of the chance Daisuke would attempt to take out one of the vampires without any sort of plan behind it. Wizarmon was going back into the realm of their enemy, with knowledge of who they were and at least one place where they could be found at a specific date and time. If someone worked that information out of him, then their small chance of victory vanished. 

Yagami didn’t seem too upset at the moment, though. He did shoot looks now and then toward the building, but that seemed more normal paranoia than knowing anything about who might be in there. 

“We’d better get going while we can,” he said after a few more nervous minutes. Yagami and Wizarmon still spoke, though he couldn’t hear anything of what they were saying. Both of them easily hung in the air a short distance away, but the acoustics of this shattered area were simply off for hearing more than a vague whisper of voices. Or it might’ve been the results of Wizarmon’s firewall. Either way, whatever they discussed wasn’t audible. 

Daisuke muttered a few words under his breath that in a brighter age might’ve had his mother wash his mouth out with soap. As it was, Osamu rolled his eyes, made a note to have him wash all the dishes for the next couple of days, and started to lead them back to the corridor they’d emerged from. 

They hadn’t gone far at all when a few stray pebbles skittered over the floor. All of them froze; that didn’t come from anywhere near them, nor from where Wizarmon or Yagami could get in here. 

Miyako gestured, and they all turned in that direction, weapons at the ready. Whatever it was, one fact had become clear over the years of conquest: a knife could kill almost anyone. The hardest part of that was finding a way to put it into the vulnerable areas, followed by learning what those vulnerable areas were in the first place. 

Light as a feather, Miyako slipped over to where the sound came from, blade ready to pierce whatever had snuck into their meeting area. Whoever, whatever it was had to die, or be restrained in some fashion that would prevent it from telling Vamdemon or his Digimon what they were doing. 

Osamu stood in just the right position to see her eyes widen for a heartbeat before she began to move forward. Whatever it was surprised her, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her. 

What did stop her was the hand that flashed out of the shadows, seizing her wrist and holding it firmly. 

Miyako didn’t bother with useless demands to be released. Instead, she brought one foot up and shoved it as hard as she could into the stomach of the one who held her. He stumbled back, and she brought her free hand down on the wrist of the hand that held her other one, growling under her breath at the same time. 

“In my day, kids didn’t play with sharp objects.” A voice spoke, tired and a little gasping for breath. Everyone tensed as a set of footsteps sounded, and from a small dark area that Osamu would’ve sworn was far too tiny to hide one person there stepped an older man. 

He wasn’t entirely what one would call _old_ , but he had clearly been an adult before the invasion, and now was in his forties or fifties. Old people were something of a rarity, given the privations that most of their world suffered under. 

_I don’t think I’ve seen anyone that old in a while, really._ Osamu mentally shook his head, then stepped forward, not having lost the grip on his knife. 

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” 

“This is my home. I should be asking all of you that.” He folded his arms over his chest and stared at them all with a look that said clearer than any other that he wouldn’t give up this place without a fight. “And I should also ask what you’re doing meeting one of those monsters here.” 

“If it’s any of your business, we’re trying to save our world,” Daisuke snapped, crossbow partially waved. Ken waved him back down with a slightly annoyed snap to his fingers; none of them wanted to see their precious vampire killing (maybe) ammunition wasted on a human that could just as easily be dispatched with a good knife strike. 

Osamu had killed humans before, ones who had pledged their loyalty to Vamdemon and sometimes others. When they needed supplies or just to protect themselves, it was sometimes all that they could do. 

The old man tilted his head back, a hint of a vague smile on his lips. “Really.” 

“What about you?” Osamu took another step forward. “You said this is your home, but no one lives here.” 

“I do.” He must have; he didn’t try to point to any one place as his home. Osamu guessed that meant he didn’t want them to know where it actually was. A good idea if he wanted to keep his home safe from intruders like them. 

“So who _are_ you?” He doubted the other was any servant of Vamdemon, not if he considered Digimon to be monsters. But who would live in a place like this? Of all the places where humans could live now, this wasn’t really one Osamu would’ve picked for himself. At least their location was hidden and easy to guard. 

“Since you’re the intruders, why don’t you tell me first?” He didn’t look armed, but the way he stared at them all said he knew far more than he was telling. Osamu tilted his head and listened; were those footsteps? They certainly sounded like them. Plenty of them too; they could be outnumbered. Which didn’t bode well at all. 

Perhaps Wizarmon could lend a hand, but a quick glance outside showed that he wasn’t there anymore, nor was Yagami. The latter’s absence didn’t bother Osamu at all, but he had to hope Wizarmon wasn’t in any danger. Too much lay at stake here, especially with this new twist of events. 

“Ichijouji Osamu.” Osamu relented enough to introduce himself. If this turned bad, then they would have to kill the stranger and perhaps find somewhere else to meet Wizarmon the following week. 

One by one the others gave their names as well, though no one relaxed, least of all Daisuke. The old man looked at them all, giving the impression that he was committing each of their faces and names to memory. 

“Now it’s your turn,” Osamu said, tapping the hilt of his knife in his best meaningful manner. The longer they stayed here, the more chances rose that Yagami could send someone to investigate the area, or come back himself. He wanted them all out of there before then. The strange man could go or stay as he pleased, so long as their security wasn’t compromised. 

He smiled a fraction, and Osamu wondered why he was oddly comforted by it. It was an expression that said he’d done this kind of thing before. 

“Ishida Hiroaki.” He turned slightly behind him and gestured. A woman, a long knife of her own in one hand, stepped out, eyes as cold and hard as river ice turning toward them all. “This is Takashi Natsuko. And you are _not_ welcome in our home.” 

* * *

Gennai ran over what Leomon and Centauromon told him. Yamato, his fury, his attack, his strange _silence_ , the way they’d spoken of his voice when he _did_ speak…the way he treated them all as his enemies…they’d all known that after so many years under Piemon’s wing, the three human Chosen wouldn’t be as they’d once been. That only made sense. 

Yet this was something that he hadn’t even considered, that at least one of them would be out for his blood. 

He needed to talk to him. As risky as the idea was, as much as it would put his life to risk at a time when they couldn’t spare a single person, much less himself, who kept contacts between two worlds, he had to do it. 

“You want to what?” Leomon stared at Gennai, as if he hadn’t entirely heard the old man’s suggestion, or didn’t properly understand what he had heard. Gennai wasn’t surprised. 

“I told you. I need to speak to Yamato to find out what he wants. Maybe if I know that, we can unravel whatever it is Piemon did to him.” At the very least they could find out where Takeru and Koushirou were and rescue them. He couldn’t even begin to think of everything they needed to do. 

Maybe he needed to start keeping a list. It surely would be useful. 

“What he wants, as near as I can assume, is you dead.” Leomon didn’t look at all amused by this. “Or Piemon wants you dead and is using Yamato to do it.” 

“It doesn’t matter,” Gennai said. He considered the matter with all due thoughtfulness. This had to be done carefully or they would lose what little they’d managed to protect over the years and gain nothing at all for it. “We need to capture Yamato. Then we can get answers.” 

Leomon came within a hair’s breadth of facepalming. “What makes you think he’ll give them to you?” 

“Because he wants to kill me.” Gennai thought this a splendid idea, whether or not it stood the proverbial snowball’s chance in hell of working. What else could they do? Approaching Piemon in his castle would be tantamount to a death sentence anyway. At least like this, they could control where and how they encountered Yamato. And how much he tried to shred them. 

Leomon took in a long, deep breath. Gennai had seen this kind of reaction many times before, usually when Ogremon wanted to insist that they fight each other instead of the Dark Masters. “How were you going to stop him from filleting you? He’s very good with his sword. Piemon’s taught him many tricks.” 

“I have some ideas.” Gennai didn’t want to give them away just yet. He would have to go find just the right Digimon, and hope that they could steer this in the way that it needed to go. “Leomon, I need you to do a few things for me.” 

He wasn’t surprised at all to hear a low, exasperated sigh from the great lion Digimon. “Gennai, a Digimon can be reformatted if they are defeated and killed. Can you be?” 

“I really don’t know, my friend.” Gennai shrugged; it wasn’t something that he’d ever thought about before. He guessed he probably should if he were going to risk his life to save their world. But before he went to all of that trouble… “This is what I need you to do for me.” 

**To Be Continued**


	25. The Summons

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 25: The Summons  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,623||story: 66,252  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** Mimi x Sora/Sora x Mimi still exists, though they don't show up in this chapter. Mentions of vampirism throughout the story, as well as violence and death.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

Takeru knew that he wouldn’t ever be the swordsman (or swordsmon) that either Yamato or Piemon were. Piemon had trained and fought for more years than Takeru could imagine existing, and while Yamato hadn’t dedicated himself to it for that long, he refused to let that stand in his way, spending every waking moment he could training and working out. 

But Takeru wasn’t going to be one who sat on the sidelines and couldn’t defend himself. His partner fought bravely and well, but Takeru had seen more than one Digimon fall underneath his own blade in the last year or so. 

Granted, they weren’t very powerful Digimon, but they were Digimon all the same, and every little bit helped. Or so Piemon told him, and while the old Digimon had a multitude of faults and flaws, lying wasn’t really one of them. 

It also gave him something to do while Yamato was out of the palace searching for Gennai. He kind of wished his brother would come back soon, but more because he always worried when Yamato was off on his own than anything else. 

This worry hadn’t ever surprised him. It lived in his soul since they’d tried to escape and encountered Flare Lizamon instead. 

He would never forget the scent of scorched meat, the meat that was his _brother_. Flare Lizamon weren’t allowed anywhere near him. Those few who served Piemon were stationed as far from the palace as they could be. So far as he knew, neither Yamato nor Koushirou complained about that. 

_I hope he finds Gennai._ He knew what Piemon had planned for the old man, presuming that Yamato left him alive long enough for Piemon’s plans to work in the first place. He couldn’t be certain which would be worse, or better. What he did know was that he wanted Gennai found so that wasn’t something hanging over their heads anymore. 

Other thoughts slid their way through his mind as he trained himself. What would Earth be like now? While they received reports and occasional pictures from Vamdemon’s people, he still couldn’t entirely wrap his mind around the images of a shattered, dying world. 

He wasn’t sure if he wanted to. He still wanted to go there for himself, to see what had happened while they’d been gone. Maybe then he would know what to do about it. He knew his brother had plans. Yamato hadn’t spoken of them, hadn’t indicated in any way what thoughts went through his own mind, but Takeru knew Yamato far too well _not_ to realize that something lurked on the far side of Gennai’s demise and that something included Vamdemon. 

_I’ll help him. Whatever he wants, I’ll help him._ Takeru wanted to tell his brother that, but uttering that where Piemon could hear would be risky. They all served him, and he’d done his best as a father for the last few years. But treachery was treachery to him. 

“Takeru?” Patamon sat on the far side of the training area, a worried look in his dark blue eyes. His ears lifted, tilting to let him hear more. “There’s someone coming.” 

Takeru nodded, shoving all thoughts out of his mind except for how his training progressed and a few worries about Yamato. He didn’t _know_ if any of Piemon’s servants could read minds, but he didn’t think this was worth taking a chance on. 

It was one thing to be loyal. He would never betray Piemon. But he’d never made any such promises where Vamdemon was concerned. None of them had. 

He didn’t let himself pay attention to the footsteps as they drew closer, but he recognized them anyway. It wasn’t hard to identify them; not many people would come into the training area, knowing that was where Piemon and his favored servants liked to spend their spare time. Only one of the Dark Masters would dare enter their private space. Pinnochimon was on Earth; Neither MetalSeaDramon nor MugenDramon would have footsteps in the first place, while Piemon floated more than he walked. 

Which left only one: Black Rosemon. 

He wasn’t surprised, then, when she stepped into the doorway and looked right at him. He still kept his focus on his movements instead of her, though his gaze flickered there enough so she knew he knew she was there. 

“You’re doing quite well, Takeru.” Her voice held that familiar amused undertone to it, the one that reminded anyone who heard her that she’d once been the chief of Piemon’s bodyguards, and didn’t gain that position by being soft in battle. He’d seen her fighting, and he wouldn’t want to go up against her without Patamon able to fully evolve, and his own sword ready to take her on if she should have an unguarded moment. 

“Thank you,” he said, pulling himself to the center of the room and turning to look on her fully. “Did you wish to spar?” 

Her rapier appeared in her hand, a long, slender wand of black vine with a tip that gleamed with something he suspected was poison. No one had ever said, least of all Black Rosemon herself. Then she vanished it. “Another time, perhaps. Piemon wishes to speak to you.” 

Ah, now he understood the annoyance in her eyes. While he, Yamato, and Koushirou weren’t Dark Masters, they ranked right underneath them, and it irked Black Rosemon to be told to do little more than pass messages along to human beings. 

“Of course.” He wouldn’t show her anything but respect. Those who didn’t understand that tended to end up on their way to the Village of Beginnings, and not for a pleasant attempt to get through the wards there. 

He slipped his sword back into the sheath and gestured for Patamon to come along. He didn’t know what Piemon wanted, but he wouldn’t leave his partner alone if he could help it. 

Takeru could feel Black Rosemon’s eyes on him as he walked out of the room, and reminded himself to keep an eye on his back while she was around. If she could get away with it, she would definitely shred him alive. 

* * *

“My lord?” Takeru bowed the moment he entered Piemon’s presence. He would never _not_ be grateful for the steps the other had taken to save Yamato’s life. For that alone, he would serve Piemon for so long as necessary. He just hoped it didn’t come into too much conflict with their desire to destroy Vamdemon. 

Though he had an idea of how to work with that. He just hadn’t presented it to Koushirou and Yamato yet. 

Piemon held a scroll in his hands, though Takeru couldn’t see any writing on it from where he stood. “This came from Yamato not that long ago.” 

Takeru tensed at once; his brother had been out there for days now, and hadn’t sent more than a brief word or two that everything was fine, he just needed more time to hunt down anyone who could give him proper information on Gennai’s whereabouts. After years of knowing what Yamato would and wouldn’t say in a message, Takeru read most of that as he hadn’t made nearly the kind of progress he wanted to and was too proud to come back home and let someone else try it. 

“What does he have to say?” He folded his arms over his chest, expecting any number of replies, even ranging to Yamato actually coming home ‘for a rest’. 

Piemon glanced at it again, then back at him. “He wants you to come out there and join him.” Takeru blinked a few times. Of all the possibilities, he hadn’t considered that one. They very seldom left the castle at the same time, given their positions to Piemon. If one couldn’t be there, the other covered his duties until he returned. 

“He does?” Takeru could not help but wonder what his brother had found out there that would require them both. It had to be something impressive. 

Piemon tossed the scroll over to him and Takeru caught it. It only took him a few moments to read through the short words; Yamato wrote much the way he spoke, in only the words that would convey what he needed in the shortest amount of time possible. Just as Piemon said, Yamato wanted Takeru to come out there with him, and to bring Patamon and a week’s worth of supplies for two. 

“You’d best hurry,” Piemon said. Takeru glanced up toward him, not surprised to see a glimpse of worry in his scarlet eyes. “The sooner you go, the sooner you can both be back.” 

Takeru wondered how long the scroll had been there, and how long Piemon had fretted to himself over allowing them both out there. Together they were a formidable pair, but one that didn’t have the kind of practice that they did alone. 

And yet, Yamato very seldom asked for his help in anything. He nodded, grip tightening around the scroll. “I’ll be ready soon.” The thought of his brother asking _him_ for help, of needing _him_ for a chance, sent a pleasant thrill all through Takeru, one unlike any he could remember feeling before. 

His brother _needed_ him. His brother _wanted_ him there to help him. 

He didn’t waste another moment, but whirled around and raced through the hallways until he came to his own quarters, Patamon still clinging to his head. 

“We’re going to help Yamato?” His partner squeaked, tiny paws gripping harder. “Really?” 

“Yes!” Takeru grabbed his traveling bag and shoved what he needed into it. He’d been on enough trips in the past to know what that was; a few changes of clothes, the means to keep his weapons sharp, spare daggers, and his Digivice. 

He stared at it for a heartbeat. It held a darker, grayer tinge to it than it had when he’d first acquired it. It still worked, though Patamon’s evolution wasn’t Angemon anymore. 

_We don’t need Angemon._ He shoved that thought away with all due speed and tossed the device into the bag with everything else. Piemon would’ve already sent word to the kitchens so he just had to stop by there in order to get the last of what he needed. No matter what, that never changed: Digimon needed to eat in order to evolve. 

“I think that’s everything,” he said, surveying his room. He couldn’t think of anything else they would need to take with them. 

“Takeru?” Patamon nudged him, gesturing to something hung over his bed. Takeru bit his lip. 

“Are you sure?” 

“It couldn’t hurt.” 

Takeru nodded, then snatched the Crest of Hope from where it hung, shoved it into his pocket, and hurried out the door. The sooner he could get to Yamato, the better. 

* * *

Piemon lounged back on his throne, a cup of wine in one hand, the screens before him showing him both Takeru and Yamato, despite the distance between them. Takeru plunged his way to the kitchens, eagerness in every movement he made, and more joy than he’d seen in the boy in some time. 

Yamato crouched in the embrace of a wide-branched tree, mostly hidden by leaves and branches, or at least so to ordinary eyes. Gabumon remained at the base of the tree, covered as well by the bushes that thronged there. Both of them stared at something a distance away. 

Piemon could see what it was, but that didn’t give him much insight into _who_ they were or why they were there. He didn’t think this creature was of any real overall importance for himself, but what, if any, information that he had could be worth dragging out of him. Yamato and Takeru would be able to do that. 

His boys. He smiled to himself. He’d held the message for nearly a day before calling Takeru, wanting to confirm to himself that this was the right way to manage this situation. If he’d chosen to go himself or send someone else, he knew Yamato wouldn’t lift a finger in protest. But Yamato wanted his brother with him now, and Piemon thought the two could stand to work together more. 

He didn’t look up when he heard someone else enter the chamber. Instead, he took a drink, and waited for Black Rosemon to speak. 

“You trust those humans too much.” 

It wasn’t the first time she’d spoken to that tune. He watched the screens as Takeru hurried out of the castle, well-stocked with food. Patamon would likely evolve to give him a ride there; the sooner the two were together on this, the better. His newer evolution couldn’t fly as Angemon could, but he was quick nevertheless. 

Piemon almost missed Angemon. There was something…pretty about him that he wouldn’t have minded getting to know better. 

_Perhaps I’ll search for a Pidmon._ Those looked almost like Angemon, save with slightly different coloring. One might be interesting to toy with. 

“Piemon!” Black Rosemon snapped his name out and he slowly turned to look at her, a hint of irritability plain in the quirk of his lips. “Did you hear me?” 

“Of course I did.” He’d just chosen not to acknowledge her. They’d had this argument before and he wasn’t interested in having it again. “Did you have something else to say about it?” 

She moved closer, the sharp strike of her heeled boots ringing against the floor with every step. “You should get rid of those humans.” 

“Something _new_ to say about it,” he corrected himself, paying more attention again to the screens. Even when all Yamato did was sit in the tree and watch the target, that was more interesting than listening to Black Rosemon complain about his boys. “You seem to forget that all three of them are far more loyal to me than _some_ Digimon that I could name.” 

Her fingers clenched; he didn’t often remind her of how she’d gained her position, but if it ensured she would cease bothering him about meaningless matters, then he would gladly do so. 

“Why do you let Pinnochimon stay on Earth? Shouldn’t he return here, where he belongs?” 

At least that was a change of subject. Perhaps she’d finally let it sink in that he had no intentions of doing away with his humans. 

“Vamdemon can keep an eye on him for me. He’d be nothing but a nuisance here.” 

Pinnochimon hadn’t been anything but a nuisance since the day Piemon told him that he was no longer a Dark Master and that Black Rosemon would henceforth rule over the woodland realms. In all truth, he’d been nothing but a nuisance before that, and if he’d known a Digimon who could’ve done the job sooner, he would never have allowed the puppet into his inner circle in the first place. 

It took him another few minutes to realize that Black Rosemon hadn’t just not spoken again, but actually left the throne room. Good; she was a powerful warrior and ally, but not someone he wanted to spend a great deal of time with. He’d chosen his Dark Masters for their strength and ability to rule, and for being less powerful than he was. He didn’t want anyone trying to take over his empire. 

For now, however, he had an interesting show to watch, and he turned his full attention to doing so. He looked forward to seeing just how Yamato and Takeru brought this strange visitor to heel. 

And what he wanted to know more than anything else was how a human had arrived in the Digital World without his approval in the first place. Supposedly all traffic between the worlds could only be approved by himself or Vamdemon, and if the vampire had plans, then he wanted to know about them. 

**To Be Continued**

**Note:** As much as I love Mimi x Sora/Sora x Mimi, the plot is demanding too much for me to focus on them. But I would very much like to. So, I would like to know if you, my readers, would be interested in seeing a side story (perhaps a one-shot, perhaps something chaptered, I don't know yet) involving what these two vampires are doing. It wouldn't be plotty but somewhat 'shippy, as 'shippy as one can get when the two involves are undead vampires. I'm already certain that the major plot will actually be told over the course of a trilogy, as there are maybe 15 chapters left in this story and I have _so much_ that I want to do. But I can provide a little extra, if it's wanted.


	26. The Attack

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 26: The Attack  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,605||story: 68,857  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** Mimi x Sora/Sora x Mimi still exists, though they don't show up in this chapter. Mentions of vampirism throughout the story, as well as violence and death.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

Taichi didn’t believe a single word Wizarmon said, not when those words insisted that yes, he met here with humans, and it was nothing against Vamdemon-sama, but merely making arrangements to acquire certain materials for his spellcraft that he couldn’t always get through ordinary channels. For all that Digimon had ruled this world for years, there were still some items that they didn’t realize the value of. Humans didn’t always either, or so Wizarmon said, but with the proper incentive, they could turn those items he needed over to him. 

No, he didn’t believe any of that, but he did his best to act as if he did. 

He cast a glance at the wrecked building, quite certain that he heard people moving around inside there. The ones that Wizarmon claimed he bargained with, or rebels longing to overthrow their rightful rulers? His fangs itched to find out. 

_Later,_ he promised himself. He would come back here with Vamdemon-sama and the rest of the pack and dig through here until they found anything and everything they could. Or everyone, whichever it so happened to be. 

For now, he turned himself back toward the castle and soared along. He could see Wizarmon in the distance, clearly doing his best to look as if he weren’t watching for Taichi himself. 

_I think I’ll give him something to worry about._ He wanted to feed anyway, so he simply turned away and started to search around for any stray humans. He remembered his master’s commands about not hunting in the wild areas with the hunter still around, but he thought he could get away with it this once, with what he had to tell the master about Wizarmon and his lies. 

If he didn’t want to have Wizarmon face Vamdemon-sama’s wrath personally, he would’ve dived into the ruins and searched them from top to bottom right away. But it was far more enticing to let Wizarmon think that he’d deceived him, and to bring him before the master with all of his gathered evidence. 

Something about Wizarmon had never entirely struck Taichi the right way. There was something off that he couldn’t put his mental finger on. He’d asked Jou, Sora, and Mimi about it, but while they felt much the same way, not completely trusting him, none of them could figure out why either. Without any further evidence beyond a vague feeling, none of them wanted to bring this up to Vamdemon-sama before, and Wizarmon had acted in all ways as if he were completely loyal. 

_Vamdemon-sama will be able to work the truth out of him._ Taichi trusted the master completely on that. He had evidence of the wizard meeting with humans, which wasn’t completely against the rules, but still wasn’t entirely trustworthy. And every sense Taichi had screamed to him that Wizarmon lied about who and what those humans were. 

He ghosted along from rooftop to rooftop, searching half for meals and half for anyone who might’ve been in that meeting. He didn’t know if he’d recognize their scents; thanks to Wizarmon’s firewall he hadn’t been able to get any good whiffs of them, and Wizarmon apparently hadn’t come close enough to them for those scents to linger on him. 

The cunning creature had likely done that on purpose, if he’d had any idea that he might encounter one of the pack after his meeting. 

“Taichi.” Even with the unaccustomed reprimand in his tone, Taichi recognized Vamdemon’s voice from a single word. His master stepped forth from the shadows of a collapsed building, one eyebrow raised behind his mask. “You’re not to hunt here.” 

Taichi smiled, even as he dropped his head in respect. “I didn’t come out here hunting on purpose, master. I tracked Wizarmon.” 

Vamdemon made a slight gesture of curiosity and Taichi told his tale, making certain to cast the wizard in the worst possible light that he could. He wanted to make certain Wizarmon was dealt with in the most permanent fashion possible, be it exile back to the Digital World or permanent death, his egg shattered beyond all regeneration. 

He would’ve preferred to be the one to shatter the egg if it came to that, but he didn’t know if Vamdemon-sama would honor him like that. 

As he came to the close, Vamdemon nodded ever so slightly, a frown on his pale lips. “You are absolutely certain?” 

“As certain as I can be, master,” Taichi said. He shifted a bit closer, eagerness in every line of his form. “May I bring the others to tear that place apart? We might find some kind of proof as to what their plans are. Or even their hiding hole.” 

Vamdemon tilted his head back for a moment, then nodded. “Do so. Bring me any humans that you find, unharmed.” His eyes fastened on Taichi, absolute command in his tone. “ _Completely_ unharmed. Not a single drop of blood should be missing from them. Do you understand?” 

“Yes, master.” Taichi wanted to pout; he’d looked forward to a feast for such a long time. But when the Master spoke, none of the pack disobeyed. Could even think of disobeying. 

“I’ll be back at the castle by the time you’re done. Bring them to me there.” 

Taichi nodded, and shot himself toward the castle with all due speed. While this wouldn’t be the feast that he longed for, it would still be a glorious moment for all the vampires, and prove that humans should stay where they were, at the very bottom, serving both vampires and Digimon. 

* * *

He landed on his balcony a handful of minutes later, and snapped an order to one of his servant Digimon to gather the rest of the flock as quickly as they could get together. It wasn’t often they all gathered like this, unless it was for a hunt, and he looked forward to seeing their reactions to what he had in store for them. 

Mimi and Sora arrived together; he’d heard rumors through the servants that they were _together_ now. Such a thing hadn’t occurred to him in ten years, and he wondered why it had to them. Maybe he’d asked when they’d cleared out these wanna-be rebels, and could do something more interesting with their time. 

Jou showed up not much later than the other two, a frown creasing his forehead. “This had better be important, Taichi, I’ve got a lot that I’m doing.” 

“Wizarmon is a traitor and we get to ransack a meeting place he was using with some of his human allies. If we find any of them, we’re to bring them back here,” Taichi said, savoring the surprise and shock dawning in their eyes. “Vamdemon-sama wants them unharmed, for now.” He did so hope that restriction would be lifted at some point. Maybe they could arrange for a hunt. Oh, the _pleasure_ that would bring to him. 

Mimi’s eyes narrowed darkly as she took in what he said. “Wizarmon? Are you certain?” 

“I saw him meeting with the humans. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, since he had a firewall up, but he admitted to meeting them.” Taichi tapped his fingers on the arm of his favorite chair. “He tried to make up excuses for it, but I know what he’s doing, and I told Vamdemon-sama as soon as I could.” 

Sora shook her head ruefully. “I would never have thought he would turn on the master. Who could be next? LadyDevimon?” 

The four of them fell silent for a few moments, before a rush of laughter echoed through them. The very _thought_ of LadyDevimon turning against the master wasn’t one to be thought at all. Unlike Wizarmon, she’d been loyal to him her entire life. She’d mentioned it once during one of the celebrations, how he’d taken her in when she was a Plotmon, and raised her into the strong warrior she was now. 

As the laughter died away, Taichi came to his feet. “The sooner we can get all of this done, the better. I don’t think Wizarmon would’ve had time to warn his pets about us, so they’re likely still in the area. If not, we can at least hope for some evidence.” 

One by one the others stood up and headed for his balcony. Taichi led the way, thrilling to the sensation of taking to the air with the flock. All that would make this better would be if Vamdemon-sama led them, but until that moment, this would be more than suitable. 

It hadn’t always been this good, he knew. There was a definite difference between leading a pack of hopeless and helpless human children in a world where everything short of their own companions wanted to eat them, and leading a pack of powerful vampires in a world where everything and everyone short of their Master bowed down to them. All things considered, Taichi definitely preferred the latter option. 

As they soared over the city to the ruined building, which he thought had once been a television station, though he couldn’t remember the name of it no matter how hard he tried, he could see a few scattered people running for cover whenever they caught sight of the flock overhead. He grinned, baring his fangs. Let them fear. Let them know their masters, the head of the food chain, always roamed. 

* * *

Mimi kept close to Sora as they flew, enjoying the sensation of being next to her as much as she did the feeling of the wind blowing through her hair. She’d let it grow long over the last few years, and had given thought to dying it on occasion. Perhaps a nice pink or blue would suit her. Being undead didn’t mean she’d lost any of her fashion sense whatsoever. 

_I have eternity to figure out what looks best on me,_ she thought, muffling a giggle, only because they were on an important mission and she didn’t want to distract from that. 

Still, until they reached their goal, she had little else to think about than what to do with her favorite outfits, makeup, and hairstyles. She’d already sorted through the practical business she took care of, managing Vamdemon-sama’s army, and seeing to it that everyone was in the best shape and well-trained as could be. 

Hearing of Wizarmon’s treachery, even with the few details Taichi could currently provide, worried her. Part of her duties was to keep up everyone’s morale, and if the army found out about this, she would be the one who had to deal with it. Vamdemon-sama commanded the army, but she kept the army together and loyal. He would have no army without her, as he’d told her before. 

She was also a clear improvement over Nanimon, or so he’d told her. From what she’d seen of him, she agreed completely. She’d made certain to get rid of him at her first opportunity, many years earlier. No one had even raised a word of protest, and she didn’t think it was because they feared her as one of Vamdemon-sama’s flock. 

Sora’s fingers brushed against hers, and she looked over to her fellow vampire, cocking one eyebrow curiously. 

“What do you think of this?” Sora murmured, her voice pitched just right for only Mimi’s ears to hear. Taichi and Jou both flew a little too far away, and no one else was in the skies near them. 

“I think this is going to be a lot of trouble. Why would Wizarmon do this to us?” The more Mimi thought about it, the more she wanted to catch him herself, and shred him down to his component data parts for this. How _dare_ he turn on them? On the master? And if he had to, couldn’t he have just conveniently left them, so they could spin it to the army that he’d been killed by traitors or spies or humans and could be seen as a martyr instead of _this_? How many other treacheries would this spark? 

None, if she had her way about it. She would make certain that anyone who heard of Wizarmon’s fate from this would be too terrified to even think about treachery for another thousand years at the very least. 

“I don’t know,” Sora said with a shake of her head. “It doesn’t feel real to me.” 

“Me either.” Mimi’s fingers tightened on Sora’s for a few seconds. “Let’s make certain it isn’t real for anyone else.” 

* * *

As silent as four moths, the quartet of vampires encircled the ruins of Fuji TV, each one taking one of the cardinal points. Each of them drew in a deep breath, testing the air. 

“Humans have been here,” Jou said, analyzing what he could catch thoroughly. “And not all that long ago.” 

Mimi dropped down closer to the ground, sniffing around there, her nose sharper than any wild dog or wolf’s. “Not just that. But some of them have been here on a regular basis. This area over here has a very strong scent to it. Not one that I know, though.” 

Sora paced around, sorting through the scents in her area. “I think some of them live here. Not just passing through but regularly staying. I can smell a little bit of smoke, and I think cooked meat of some kind.” 

“Are you sure it’s not just someone who passed through recently?” Taichi wanted to know, lifting himself a few feet into the air to check on any other passing scents. 

“Yes. The scent’s too strong for it to have been a quick visit.” Sora took to the air as well, now listening as hard as she could. One by one they all fell silent, turning the ears of a hunter toward finding their prey. 

Jou made the first strike, darting forward toward a spill of broken cement. He tossed the chunks to the side as easily as a human might’ve thrown aside a pile of autumn leaves, while the others kept a distance, watching for anyone who might be stirred up by his work. 

In only a few minutes, he uncovered a rock leaning on the ground. To most it would’ve looked like nothing more than another part of the ground, a remnant of a once magnificent building now dust and rubble. But as they gathered closer, the vampire pack could all see the scrapes to the sides of the rock that spoke of it having been moved before. 

Not so much as a look was exchanged before Jou dug his hands around the sides of the rock, lifted it up, and tossed it to one side. What lay revealed beneath was a long, shadow-filled tunnel. The air was far too fresh for it to have been abandoned from the days of human reign over the world. 

Another scent, one that they hadn’t fully expected but had indeed hoped for, wafted outward from the tunnel and all four smiled smiles that would’ve sent any human who saw them fleeing for their lives. It wasn’t anything less than the scent of strong, healthy humans. 

“Let’s go,” Taichi said, his voice barely more than a whisper on the wind. A quick check of the air told them that despite how strong the scent was, there were no humans in the area. Either scent or sound would’ve given them away to the four hunters. 

Each dropped into the tunnel, landing a few feet apart from one another, and as one moved where the human scent lay the strongest. It was all Taichi could do not to salivate. This was already the best hunt ever, no matter who they found at the end of it. 

**To Be Continued**


	27. The Argument

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 27: The Argument  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,622||story: 71,479  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** Mimi x Sora/Sora x Mimi still exists, though they don't show up in this chapter. Mentions of vampirism throughout the story, as well as violence and death.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

_Ishida._ The name rang in Daisuke's memories, but he couldn't make the connection. He hated when that sort of thing happened; the feeling of something being just on the tip of his tongue always distracted him from whatever else it was he was supposed to be doing. 

“Your name's familiar,” Jun said, mirroring her brother's thoughts. “Where have I heard it before?” 

“I have a few ideas, but here and now isn't the best place or time to discuss them.” The man called Ishida gestured to them. “We have a safer place where we can talk about all of this.” 

Osamu didn't move an inch. “Why should we trust you?” 

Daisuke didn't disagree; being human didn't mean that they could be trusted. There were plenty of humans who gleefully worked for Vamdemon in any position he would permit them in, and were no more to be trusted than any Digimon who truly served him. 

“Because your other option is to try to get out there.” The woman gestured toward the outside. “That vampire might be gone, but he could come back at any moment, and bring his 'friends' with him.” 

The rebels cast a few quick glances among one another; whether they liked it or not, these two did have a point of some kind. 

Ishida turned around and started back the way that he'd come. “Follow us, then. The sooner we get out of here, the better.” 

None of the rebels could argue with that, even if they wanted to. If Taichi tried to get in here, none of them wanted to still be around, much less to leave a trail he could follow. 

At the far end of the tunnel the two had emerged from there stood a solid steel door, half-hidden by rocks and rubble, and the parts that weren't hidden held a good coating of rust. Osamu bent closer to give it a better look before they opened it. 

“Camouflage,” he murmured, touching one finger to it. “It's just camouflage.” 

“What?” Ken stepped up next to him and pressed a finger to it as well before nodded. “The rust is just paint.” 

“The vampires and the Digimon haven't found their way down here yet, but just in case they ever do, this should keep them away,” Ishida said with a thin smile. “And if it doesn't, we'll have enough time to either leave or find a way to bring the whole tunnel down on top of them.” 

“Would that work?” Daisuke wondered. The idea of dumping a few hundred tons of rock and earth on Vamdemon's undead slaves hadn't ever occurred to him. It did sound interesting, though. Maybe this time, they'd actually stay buried. 

Takaishi shrugged. “We don't know. I hope we don't ever have to find out.” 

Daisuke wasn't going to argue over that, either. 

Ishida touched a small spot on the wall, which looked no different from any other, and as he did, a panel slid back at about eye level on the door itself. He leaned forward, letting a small beam of light touch his eyes, then stepped back and gestured for Takaishi to take his place. 

_Retinal scan,_ Osamu realized, mentally salivating at the idea of what kind of protective technology they could have down here. He didn't know how they powered it or where they'd scrounged it from, but he wanted to _see it_ and see if there was any way he could copy it or improve on it. Their own defenses were nothing to sneeze at, but every little bit could help. 

“If you weren't with us, then you could sit here forever, and absolutely nothing would happen,” Ishida said, as rolling noises echoed from somewhere. Instead of the large rusted door moving to the side, the floor itself began to move backward, revealing a thin, narrow staircase. 

They followed the two down the stairs, which weren't lit well at all, only a few guttering lightbulbs every hundred yards or so. The staircase led into a maze of tunnels, which wasn't any more well-lit, and before very long, Osamu didn't think he could've found his way back to the top even if he'd had a map. 

“Where _are_ we?” Iori wondered, staring around as much as he could. 

“Just where we were. Only deeper,” Ishida said. “This is part of the old subway system, actually. The storage rooms underneath Fuji TV weren't connected here originally, but you'd be surprised at what ten years of effort can create.” 

Osamu wasn't sure if he would be or not, but he could see why they'd do it. “Why would you pick here for your hideout?” 

Ishida and Takaishi exchanged quick glances, with Ishida laughing a small, rueful laugh. “She always told me I was married to my work. So when the world came to an end, I couldn't think of a better place to go.” 

“Think you could say that in a way that makes sense?” Daisuke muttered, not liking being so far underground. It called up memories he chose not to think about, of thick walls and cold rooms, of being trapped and on a leash he couldn't break. 

Ken rested one hand on his shoulder and Daisuke turned grateful eyes toward him. No matter what else happened, as long as he had Ken around, Daisuke knew that he'd be all right. 

“I used to work here,” Ishida said after a few silent moments. “Natsuko and I were married once upon a time as well. But it...didn't end well.” 

Takaishi shrugged. “That was a long time ago. There are more important things to worry about now. Like...” She shook her head as her voice trailed off, but said nothing more. 

Her ex apparently had other ideas. “We want to find a way to destroy that monster ruling our world and see if we can find our sons.” 

“Sons?” Daisuke winced; he couldn't imagine how many people had been lost to the feeding pens. He'd been there himself and he didn't want to imagine it. He didn't really need to anyway. 

No answer came for a few moments. Daisuke wondered if something worse than being in the pens had happened to their children. There wasn't much he could think of that was worse, but maybe... 

“As far as we know, they're in the Digital World.” Ishida pronounced the words carefully, as if they left a bad taste in his mouth. 

“And we only know that because we heard some of the Digimon talking about visitors who might come sooner or later. Something about a 'Piemon-sama' and who he'd bring with him.” Takaishi spoke quietly. “We can't even be certain if that's who they meant, but we don't have any other clues.” 

“We can ask Wizarmon if you like. He might know something,” Osamu offered. He still couldn't shake the delighted thrill that ran through him at the thought of seeing Wizarmon again. He didn't want to, if all truth were to be known. 

No answer came for that, and Osamu decided to ask the Digimon the next time he got the chance anyway. It wouldn't do any harm and perhaps could help. Whatever else these people had done, they'd at least managed to get them out of there before Taichi could get close enough to know they'd been there at all. Whatever tale Wizarmon spun would hold water, so long as they weren't actually seen. 

The narrow corridor they ended up walking through after the maze widened out without warning, and the only hint they had that something was going to happen was when their guides both threw up their hands over their eyes. Brilliant light, the kind that none of them could remember seeing even in their own base, blazed on overhead. 

“What the-” Osamu stopped in his tracks, shuddering, unable to move without fear of tripping over something since he couldn't see where he was going. “What is this?” 

There wasn't any sound of weapons, but he could hear more people there suddenly, the shuffling of feet and sharp, nervous breathing, and he knew without a doubt they were all pointing something at them anyway. 

“This is who we saw talking to that Digimon. They say that they're trying to help get rid of Vamdemon.” Takaishi's voice cracked cold and harsh. “I still don't know if we can trust them, but I don't think we have any choices, either.” 

A strange voice answered her. “Do you really think that this could work?” 

“Something has to.” Ishida sounded far more tired than he ever had before. “We've tried everything else that we could think of.” 

Feet moved forward from behind Osamu, and he recognized Daisuke's tread. “Do you think someone could turn the lights down in here? I didn't think I'd ever say it, but they _suck_.” 

Low-voiced murmurs came from between the others, and moments later, the lights dimmed down enough so it wasn't blinding to have one's eyes open. Osamu still would've given a respectable chunk of money, if money had meant anything anymore, for a pair of sunglasses. There were more important matters at hand, however. 

“Who are you, what do you want, and what in the world is going on here?” Osamu wanted to know, taking a firm step forward, staring at all of those he could see now. 

“Most of these were my co-workers,” Ishida said, settling down on a battered office chair that still seemed able to roll a little. “We all ended up back here sooner or later and decided to stay together.” 

One of the others, armed with what looked like an oversized kitchen knife with a razor's edge of sharpness, brought a cup of something that smelled vaguely like coffee once had over to Ishida. “We've been doing everything we can to find out how to defeat Vamdemon. But he doesn't have many weaknesses that we can tell.” 

“Wizarmon said that the best chance he knew of would be an Angel Digimon. But those are hard to find these days,” Osamu said. None of these new people looked all that thrilled by any of that. 

“I still don't think it's a good idea to trust a Digimon,” one of the others said. “What have they ever done but cause us trouble?” 

“If we can trust Wizarmon, and I think that we can, not all of them like Vamdemon anyway. If we can get rid of him, most of them will probably go back to their world and not bother us anymore,” Ken pointed out. “Our best chance is to keep working with him. He'll be able to give us information and assistance that we can't get on our own.” 

The one with the coffee shrugged, settling down on a half of a desk, careful to sit so he didn't knock it over. “Maybe for you. But we want something else, too.” 

“What?” Miyako's gaze flickered from one to the other of them, not having relaxed at all since they'd entered here. Osamu applauded that. This was nearly as dangerous as going out where the vampires could get them would have been. 

“Our sons,” Ishida said quietly. “We've been working to find a way into the Digital World. We couldn't build one ourselves, but _they_ have a gate that can be used to cross over.” 

A thread of curiosity and fear made its way down Osamu's spine. “You're going to the Digital World?” 

“No. We're going to send someone else there. Someone who can find our sons and bring them home,” Takaishi said, her eyes sharp and determined. “We would go ourselves, but passing through that gate is dangerous.” 

Another person spoke up. “What information we've gathered indicates that only certain people can do so and not be harmed by it in some way. We don't know what the requirements are, but none of us can do it.” 

“How do you know that if you don't know what they are?” Ken pointed out with a hint of twisted amusement. 

“Just admit it. You're too scared to try,” Iori said, giving them all his best disappointed look, the one that could make even Miyako try something she wasn't inclined to. “So you want us to do it for you.” 

Nervous shuffles came from everyone else who called this their base. Ishida was the one who spoke up. “I want to go. That place took my sons from me and I want them back. But we sent someone through once and we haven't heard back from him at all. He promised to send a message, but nothing. There's a good chance he didn't survive.” 

The words fell heavily from his lips, as if he didn't want to say them at all. 

“What makes you think we could do any better?” Miyako wanted to know. “We don't know anything more about that world than you do.” 

“Because there are more of you. If whatever attacks him attacks you, you have better chances of fighting it off. He wasn't a very good fighter, which is why we sent him in the first place. We thought he'd go under their radar,” Ishida said, his attention more on his hands than on them. “We don't know what happened to him, but he's not telling us anything, and we have to assume the worst.” 

Osamu could think of a lot more things worse than being dead, especially in the Digital World, but now didn't seem like the time to mention any of them. 

“I still think it's a better idea to talk to Wizarmon about this. He can find out what's going on without lives being risked again,” Osamu said. They had enough to do saving their own world. Trying to get into another world's politics, more than they already were, seemed like stretching themselves far too thin for comfort. 

Takaishi opened her mouth to say something, quite likely about the idea of talking to a Digimon about this, when the entire room shook and the lights sparked once, twice, and then went out, plunging everything into a deep darkness. 

“I think we have bigger problems on our hands,” one of the other ex-reporters snapped amid the shouting and clashing of people getting to their feet and trying to find their way. 

“What's going on?” Osamu shouted, taking a step back and reaching for where he knew Ken had been moments before. “Earthquake?” The Digimon invasion hadn't changed the fact Japan had earthquakes, but this didn't feel like one at all. 

“I don't know, I can't get to the security system!” Someone else shouted, the sound of multiple feet coming from everywhere. “But this shouldn't happen even in an earthquake! Not unless we were at the center of it!” 

“Amazing what can happen when someone puts their mind to wrecking your little 'security system', isn't it?” 

The voice wasn't one that Osamu had heard many times, but he recognized it anyway. He wasn't certain if the sharp breath indrawn were his own or Daisuke's. Either one was perfectly understandable at this point. 

“Yagami.” It was Ken who spoke the name, giving it a level of loathing that most of them reserved for Vamdemon. Ever since he and Osamu had rescued Daisuke from Vamdemon, the monster's chief minion rang second on his list of the enemies he hated. 

“So glad you know me. It saves on all of those boring introductions.” Footsteps, calm and measured and crunching against the rubble on the floor, moved forward. “I don't really know who any of you are, and I don't care. Though I think I smell an exception. Vamdemon-sama wants you all, but he will be _very_ pleased to have you back, Motomiya Daisuke. He's been looking for you.” 

And with that, all hell broke loose. 

**To Be Continued**


	28. The Name

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 28: The Name  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,657||story: 74,136  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** Mimi x Sora/Sora x Mimi still exists, though they don't show up in this chapter. Mentions of vampirism throughout the story, as well as violence and death.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

Uncounted thoughts spun through Wizarmon's mind as he made his way back to the castle. He hoped that the tale he'd spun would keep Taichi distracted at least for some time. Not much time; he didn't think he could have that much fortune in his life. But enough time for everyone to get away. After that, no matter what the vampire did, they would be safe. 

He put all of his fears out of his mind the best that he could for now. Taichi was gone, on his own, and whatever he did, Wizarmon had no more control over it. So he had to think about what he could do. 

_LadyDevimon. Tailmon._ He'd promised to speak to her. The sooner he did that the better; he couldn't bring himself to trust that Taichi would accept everything he'd said blindly, no matter how much he wanted to. Distracted was one thing, completely accepting everything without question was something else altogether. 

So, best to get what he needed done accomplished before Vamdemon wanted to question him. No matter how he came out of that, he'd likely not have a chance to talk to her afterward. Assuming he did come out of it. Vamdemon didn't have a reputation for leaving beings that he questioned alive afterward. 

He landed on his balcony, taking careful steps inside, looking for any sign that one of the flock or Vamdemon himself was there. He would've gone straight for the dungeon, but anything that put him outside of his normal actions could be suspect today, and the less he had to explain to anyone, the better. 

Everything seemed just as he'd left it, and a fraction of the tension he'd suffered under since first encountering Taichi outside of the ruined building faded. Perhaps the vampire hadn't bothered to tell Vamdemon anything yet. He might still have time. 

He didn't waste what time he had, snatching up what few items he thought he might need, and then heading out as quickly as he could toward the stairs, each movement quick and hurried, the most serious expression he could muster on what could be seen of his face. The last thing he wanted was for anyone to ask him what was up right now. He didn't want to tell them. 

* * *

LadyDevimon hadn't ever had a reason to send a message to Wizarmon. He came when he chose, and she never asked for more than the handful of visits that he made. Until now, she'd let herself be content with guarding Hikari and nothing more. 

Now that she wanted that more, she had to hold herself back from fidgeting, waiting for him to come, and hoping that it wouldn't be another week or month or half-dozen months before he did. 

She could've asked one of the servants to go inform him that she had something important to say, and stopped herself every time the thought occurred to her. No matter what, she intended to go against Vamdemon's orders, and if he caught a whiff of what she had in mind, then it would all be over. 

It was strange, almost, how fear of him ruled not only her life, but that of everyone else in this world as well. Even with her limited outside contact, she could see how the single question of _what would Vamdemmon-sama think if he knew about this?_ ruled virtually every life to greater or lesser degree. Even if they didn't think it in those words, his rule dominated without question. 

She couldn't stop it. She could barely manage to work out a plan to get Hikari out from under his influence, much less herself. But she'd made the plan anyway, however little chance of success it had of actually happening. If she could do this, then who knew what someone else might be able to do? 

“LadyDevimon?” 

She hadn't expected Wizarmon's voice, in all honesty. She had thought she would have to find a way to contact him that could bypass everyone else, and would still put them at risk. But here he was, just inside the door, out of sight of Hikari, as he had been so many other times. 

And he was worried. She read it in the lines of his forehead and the set of his shoulders, the tension in his neck and the narrowed eyes. Whatever worried him terrified her, and she had enough to fret over already. 

“Wizarmon.” She nodded slightly, gesturing as she did for him to follow her. The Veggiemon would stay out of sight, being too wrapped up in the next batch of gruel, and spying on one another, to care too much about what the two of them did. 

“We need to speak,” Wizarmon said, his voice low. “Something important has happened.” 

She found a small, weak smile touching her lips. “And I want something important _to_ happen.” 

For a few silent moments they simply looked at one another, letting the last time they could ever pretend nothing was hidden between them pass. LadyDevimon spoke first. 

“I want to take Hikari to the Digital World. I want to tell her what her name is and to let her live away from Vamdemon.” What else? What else could she say? “I want to stay with her, and not him.” 

Wizarmon didn't move a muscle, save for the very slightest widening of his eyes, for what seemed to her to be forever. Then, slowly, miraculously, he began to smile. “I've hoped for years to hear you say something like that, my old friend.” 

LadyDevimon didn't know how to blush. But she could feel the tips of her ears heating up, and thought that was as close as she could ever come. “I took her outside some time ago. We...encountered a human. They spoke to one another only briefly, but since then it's been as if her light returned to her.” She ducked her head for a moment, feeling as she had long ago, when she'd been just a Tailmon. “Ever since then, I can't imagine keeping her locked up like this. Not anymore.” 

Wizarmon hovered upward enough to rest a hand on her shoulder. “That explains more to me than you can imagine. I met that human that she crossed paths with.” 

Even more questions rushed to LadyDevimon's lips, but she held them all back. They could be asked later, when they weren't still in Vamdemon's castle. “How can we get her out? Can he help?” The idea of leaving Hikari forever didn't set right with her at all, but if the humans would take care of her, then she would abandon her plan and do whatever was best for the girl. 

Wizarmon, however, shook his head. “There isn't much they can do now. We are still working on trusting each other.” Something flickered in the depths of his eyes, something that LadyDevimon couldn't remember having seen in him before. She wanted time to ask about it, to learn everything that she could, but there wasn't any. 

“Then what can we do?” 

Wizarmon pulled a small bag from within the depths of his cloak. “I've been making plans for an escape for some time. If we hurry, we should be able to get to the gate to the Digital World before anyone else realizes that we've left.” 

_We?_ “You're coming with us?” After all this time, everything began to move far more quickly than she'd expected. She didn't feel as if it were out of control, not just yet, but inch by inch, everything spun just that much faster. 

There was a faint hint of lips curving upward behind his mask. “After this, what other choice would I have? Taichi already suspects me, I think, and after today, I'm certain Vamdemon will want words.” 

She turned back to the main cell area. “Then we'd better get going.” The sooner they left, the better. “I'll get her out of there.” 

Wizarmon rested a hand on her arm. “Wait. I will.” In answer to her questioning glance, he held up the bag he'd produced again. “If the door is simply unlocked, then you'll be a suspect as well. But if I break her out, the only one he'll believe turned on him is me.” 

She hesitated only for a few moments before nodding. He hurried on ahead of her, and as she took the first steps after him, a strange thrill unlike any she could remember feeling before shot all through her. She was finally, ultimately, doing what was right, even if it still gave her a cover as Vamdemon's loyal servant. She didn't know what kind of use that could have in the future, or if it would at all, but she trusted Wizarmon's words. The less that the vampire lord and his minions knew about what was going on here, the better off they would all be. 

Hikari hadn't moved from her cot, head still tilted to that small fraction of dim light, which grew darker now as the hidden sun began to set. There wasn't much light in this world, but those with the eyes could still tell the difference, and there were few these days who didn't have the skill to do so. 

Wizarmon looked at her for a few silent moments, then drew in a breath. “Yagami Hikari.” 

She didn't move. LadyDevimon's heart twisted at that, and she reached forward to touch the bars of the cell. “It's your name,” she said, pitching her voice just enough so that the Veggiemon couldn't hear them. “Your name is Yagami Hikari.” 

Slowly, Hikari lifted her head and looked toward them, a faint air of confusion hovering over her. “Hikari?” She seemed to taste the name before her eyes cleared and she began to smile. “You know my name.” 

“I've always known it.” LadyDevimon stepped closer, not taking her attention off of Hikari for a single moment. “But I couldn't tell you. Vadmemon forbade it.” 

The girl tilted her head to one side, one corner of her mouth going downward. “But why now?” 

“Because we're leaving here, and what Vamdemon wants doesn't matter anymore,” Wizarmon said, gesturing for LadyDevimon to move backward. He brought his supplies out, setting them on the floor beside the bars, and began to chant and gesture with his staff. After a moment, LadyDevimon realized one thing, at least, he was trying to say with those movements. 

“You'd better get back.” Even as she spoke, something else occurred to the Virus Digimon, and she started to turn to call out to the Veggiemon. They should've gotten them out of there before, as risky as that might be. 

But there was no time now, because even as Hikari took a few skittering steps backward, a small explosion rocked the dungeon, and LadyDevimon found herself cast to one side, bent metal and broken stone scattered all over her. She leaped to her feet, knocking it away, and peered through the dust cloud until she saw Hikari. The girl cowered in the back of her cell, hair dust covered and a streak of blood down one side of her face where a sharp-edged chip of stone cut by her. 

LadyDevimon didn't hesitate, but reached inside and pulled her out, wrapping her arms around her. She wished that she had better arms to do it with, arms that were made to hold and give comfort instead of throw out attacks and cause nothing but damage. 

At least she could use her strength to protect Hikari now. Better than using it to hurt her, even if that hurt was nothing more than keeping her away from everything else. 

“We need to get out of here.” Wizarmon pushed himself to his feet, his cape shredded and hat askew. “The gate.” 

She knew where it was; it would take them some time to reach it, and with all of this, she didn't know anymore how much time they had. 

“What's going on in here?” One of the Veggiemon peered his head in, looking around, eyes going wide. “Escape attempt!” 

Wizarmon brought up his staff before the Veggiemon could start to back out, energy gathering on the staff's tip. LadyDevimon barely had time to realize what he was doing before the spell lashed forward to Wizarmon's cry of, “Thunder Ball!” 

A moment later, the Veggiemon stood there blinking, head tilted to one side. “What...what happened? Is everyone all right?” 

“We're all fine. But enemies have attacked the castle and abducted Vamdemon's prisoner,” Wizarmon said, flicking his staff behind him again. LadyDevimon glanced down to see that her arms now wrapped around what appeared as nothing more than thin air. She could still feel Hikari's presence, but she couldn't see her at all. 

And apparently neither could the Veggiemon, as he rolled backwards, then headed off howling at the top of its lungs for the others. 

“We'd better leave before they come back,” Wizarmon said. LadyDevimon nodded, scooping up the still invisible Hikari into her arms. 

“Hold on tight,” she advised, feeling the girl's thin arm wrappnig around her neck. “We're going to fly.” And fly faster than she'd ever flown before, to get to the portal safely. 

* * *

Hikari- she had a name...better than that, she had _her own_ name again, and it rang in every part of her heart as being absolutely _true_ \- tightened her grip around LadyDevimon's neck. Her every thought spun with equal parts confusion and delight. She had a name, they were leaving this place never to return, and...they were leaving here, never to return. 

The few times she'd been out before hadn't prepared her for the idea of never coming back here. She'd grown a little used to it, even as she didn't want to. Yet there still remained a part of her that ached for the open air and skies that weren't thick with clouds and gray with sorrow. 

Wizarmon and LadyDevimon flew together, and she held on tight, watching the world spin by beneath them. Digimon flew here and there, focusing mostly on rushing toward where smoke from the explosion still wafted up into the air, barely visible in the evening shadows. They were too high for Hikari to catch more than a jumble of words, none of which made any solid sense to her, but she wasn't that bothered by it. Only one word really meant anything to her at the moment, the one that LadyDevimon and Wizarmon had both spoken to her. Her own true name at last. 

She closed her eyes and leaned her head against LadyDevimon's shoulder, more tired than she had ever wanted to admit. She'd barely picked up that they were going to the gate, and wasn't even certain if she knew what that meant anyway. As long as they weren't going to stay here, she decided, and it wasn't a place where Vamdemon could ever find her ever again, she didn't care where they ended up. 

* * *

LadyDevimon could feel the shift of Hikari's weight in her arms as the girl began to slip into what could've been her first complete and deep slumber in years. She hoped with all of her soul that it was the first of many. 

“How long will it take us to get to the portal?” 

“Not more than an hour, if we're careful to avoid being seen before we can get there,” Wizarmon said, his attention on the crowds below. “But I'm more worried about something else.” At her questioning look, he continued. “The spell I used shouldn't have caused an explosion like that. There was a shield there, one I couldn't detect.” 

LadyDevimon's heart plummeted. Only a few beings could've woven a shield that well, and one of them was the one they least wanted to encounter at the moment. Wizarmon must have seen that in her eyes, as he nodded. Both of them put on more speed. The sooner they reached the gate to the Digital World, the better. 

**To Be Continued**


	29. The Theft

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 29: The Theft  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,603||story: 76,739   
**Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** Mimi x Sora/Sora x Mimi still exists, though they don't show up in this chapter. Mentions of vampirism throughout the story, as well as violence and death.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

_Vamdemon is going to know._ The thought failed to cease ringing in Wizarmon's mind for a single moment. Going to know, could very well already know. It didn't make much of a difference, because the end would be the same: he would have no questions about who had set Hikari free and the moment he arrived at the castle and began to sort through the rubble, he would know what to do. They would be _lucky_ if he didn't send the flock after them. Wizarmon thought that together, he and LadyDevimon could stand whatever Digimon came against them. 

Unless Vamdemon himself came after them. That sent even more chills going through him. He didn't want to think on it too much; that would freeze him where he stood, and the sooner they reached the gateway, the better. 

He glanced forward to where LadyDevimon flew, arms still wrapped around Hikari protectively. If only he knew where the Crest of Light and the old Digivice had been hidden. But Vamdemon had kept that information to himself all this time. 

_I have to go back._ He could not have gone paler if he'd tried. But the certainity of it rang through every ounce of his heart. They would need those things if they were to have any chance against Vamdemon. He didn't know all of their uses, but they were blindingly, unquestionably necessary. 

“LadyDevimon!” Wizarmon called out, moving to catch up with her. “Do you know where the portal is?” 

“Sort of.” A faint tinge touched her pale gray cheeks. “I never paid much attention to the gossip.” 

And there hadn't been many who would've chosen to gossip where she could hear them anyway. He shook his head quickly. 

“Find a place to hide until I come back. I've left something behind that we _will_ need.” He hesitated only a moment. “I'll either bring it myself or send it through someone you can trust.” 

He wasn't certain who he could trust at all, but he would find someone if he couldn't bring it himself. Even if he had to make certain he could trust them in a way that he didn't like doing. 

LadyDevimon tightened her hold around Hikari. “Are you certain?” 

“Yes.” Wizarmon wasn't going to let this chance slip away. He thought he might know where the items were, but getting them would be almost impossible, even for him. 

Even so, almost didn't mean completely, and he would put all of his effort into this. He gestured for them to go on, and turned back, taking the long way around. At least the confusion that still reigned would keep most people from even noticing him. 

There were few places where Vamdemon would've wanted to hide the Crest, Tag, and Digivice of Light. They were the tools of the one meant to destroy him, and even when he had her firmly in his clutches, he wouldn't take a chance that someone else might claim them and find a way to use them against him. 

_He would hide it somewhere where no one else could even see it. Where no one would ever think to look for it._

Only one place fit that condition, and in all of his life, Wizarmon had never wished he had a companion as much as he wished for one now. The image of dark blue hair and serious eyes rose in the back of his thoughts, and he shoved it away without remorse. As much as the thought of having Osamu with him appealed to him, this was also the very last place he would have ever wanted to see him. 

Going not just into Vamdemon's castle, but into the wicked vampire's personal bedchamber? The only human Wizarmon knew of who'd ever come out of there in one piece had been Daisuke, and even he had mental scars from that. He wouldn't even put Osamu close to being in that position. Vamdemon would drink him dry, and then bring him back as one of the pack, if he had even an inkling of how much Wizarmon wanted to keep him safe. 

Exactly why he wanted that flickered and danced like a flame in the breeze in the back of Wizarmon's mind, and he refused to pay attention to it. Another time, another place, that was what it would have to be. Here and now, he needed to get his treasure and get out of here. 

No one guarded Vamdemon's chamber. No one sane would want to go in there. But with every move that he made, Wizarmon still could not shake the feeling that cold blue eyes rested on the back of his neck, and gloved hands awaited the chance to close themselves around him, cutting off his hair and bringing him to his most brutal end. 

He breathed just a fraction harder. If Vamdemon had protections on Hikari's cell that he couldn't detect, then who was to say that he couldn't have them here, in his most private rooms? It made sense for them to be warded, and Wizarmon's imagination provided a thousand different results of trespassing on those wards. Incinerated, pierced by a thousand spikes, captured and held until the vampire himself came to deal with the intruder...and those were only the beginning of what he _could_ imagine. Vamdemon's twist for punishment could provide even more, ones far beyond what Wizarmon could even begin to think of. 

He had to keep going, though. If he didn't find LadyDevimon and Hikari after a long enough interval, he had to trust that they would go on without him. What they might do without what he wanted to bring them he couldn't yet guess, but perhaps Gennai would be able to help them. He cursed to himself, wishing he'd been able to get a message through concerning them. 

He would do that as soon as they crossed over. Though he also wished he'd been able to send one to Osamu. He would have to sort all of this out. 

Taking one step at a time, he crossed over the threshold into Vamdemon's chamber. He held his breath, more from not wanting to make a single sound than anything else. One step, and another, and then another. He looked around, recalling the way Vamdemon's chamber had been set up in the castle in the Digital World. He'd only been there once, to receive some special orders for a mission with Tailmon, but he remembered very clearly. 

Vamdemon's quarters consisted of five rooms, three of which were devoted to his own personal comfort and possessions. The other two hadn't been used in the Digital World, but here, Daisuke had lived in them for some years: a small room that was more of a closet than a bedroom, and an equally small room for personal needs. 

The other three consisted of Vamdemon's personal bathing area (which was much more richly decorated than the small one his blood pet was granted use of), a huge library that consisted of what seemed to be endless books of spellcraft and lore, and a bedroom, where a large coffin rested in the center of the room. 

Wizarmon hadn't ever asked if any of the pack slept in coffins. He didn't know where they would've found them here anyway. But Vamdemon's rested there, closed and silent. Wizarmon's gaze was drawn to it, fully aware of all of the wards that protected it: or at least some of them. After what happened with Hikari's cell bars, he wasn't going to trust anything not to have some kind of guard on them. 

More careful steps in, and sweat pooled in the small of his back. Here, he couldn't hear the rush and chatter from the Digimon trying to work out what had happened in the cells. Everything remained quiet. The kind of quiet that reigned just before disaster struck. 

_I have to hurry._ There were so many possible hiding places in this room alone, and that didn't include the simple possibility that Vamdemon carried the items on his person. That would be the absolute worst. 

But that was also something he had to take a chance on. He drew in a breath and flipped open the coffin, ready for defend himself. 

Nothing happened. Within the coffin, a silken pillow rested on a liner of dark satin, nothing more. Wizarmon let himself breathe the slightest fraction before he pulled the pillow to the side. 

Still nothing. He looked around, trying to find anywhere else. The items would be held where Vamdemon himself felt most secure putting them, where no one could find them, even if he wasn't there. His own person still seemed the best choice, but Wizarmon couldn't check there, not now. The coffin was second best, but they weren't there. 

He glanced at it again, and this time something else caught his attention: the size inside and outside didn't match perfectly. The wizard's eyes narrowed as he leaned forward, running one finger alongside of it. Math wasn't his best magic, but if he judged this correctly... 

He seized the liner and yanked it back, revealed the bottom of the coffin. The metal coffin gleamed in the pale flickering torchlight, the faintest of lines visible as well. Wizarmon plunged his hand there, sparkles of light flaring up his arm, and he knew that even if he'd somehow failed to set off an alarm before, _now_ he hadn't. Now Vamdemon knew that someone was in his personal rooms, looking to take something from there. And on today, when Yagami Hikari had been freed from her prison, there could only be one target by such a thief. 

His hand closed around a small box and he pulled it out. Carved into it was a symbol he'd seen only once before, when Vamdemon showed them all the Crest of Light to prove that he owned it. But here, it had been slashed through as if by a knife. Negating it; the power that it represented held dormant and captive. 

Wizarmon snarled as he pried at the golden lock, and more sparks flared, stronger and sharper than before. _Warding? More of it?_ He would have to work harder in order to get through it, and he didn't want to do it here, just in case... 

“I suspected that it was you.” 

Vamdemon stood in the doorway, arms folded over his chest, one golden eyebrow arched upward. “Put away what isn't yours.” 

“It's not yours, either. And I plan to return it to the rightful owner!” There wasn't any need to hide that, at least. Wizarmon liked that, not having to lie and conceal who his loyalty truly belonged to anymore. 

The vampire's lip twitched upward. “Really. You think that a broken doll can do anything with that? Even if you take her out of here, she's a useless husk. She can be nothing more.” 

“What makes you so certain of that?” Wizarmon backed away, far too aware that this place had no windows. He needed a way out, and the only way he knew was through the door Vamdemon now blocked. 

“You'll see. Those are nothing more than trinkets, the remnants of a long gone age that will never come again. I know you think you can defeat me if you have them, but I am _unstoppable_.” Vamdemon chuckled as he took a step into the room. “I think perhaps this time, when I recover her, I won't bother with keeping her. She's not as much fun to play with as she once was.” He paused, and Wizarmon _knew_ whatever he said next would be meant to hurt, to carve out more pain in his heart. Vamdemon was very good at that. “I think her brother would very much like to meet her, don't you?” 

Wizarmon brought up his staff and lit the tip of it, bright light sparking. Vamdemon hissed for a moment before bringing one hand down in a sharp gesture, and thick shadows gathered before him. 

“You won't hurt her like that. You won't hurt her ever again. I won't allow it.” 

That pulled a laugh from Vamdemon. “Is that what you plan to do? Be her guardian?” A faint question rippled through his voice. “You, the Eighth Digimon?” 

_He doesn't know!_ Wizarmon could've leaped for joy. It put him in more danger, but it also gave more protection to LadyDevimon, for the moment. How Vamdemon hadn't figured it out in all these years, he didn't know, and right now, he cared absolutely _not at all_. Instead, he let himself smile, the expression only vaguely visible behind his scarf. 

“So what if I am?” 

He moved before he even finished the question, charging straight at Vamdemon in what he knew could end up being a suicide move. But he'd read many books by humans over the years, and he knew something very well: the wisest of warriors feared not the second greatest, but the one who knew nothing at all of warfare. For that inexperienced warrior would make the mistake that couldn't be predicted. 

Such as charging directly at one's mortal enemy while in the heart of their stronghold and holding what could be the keys to their defeat in one's hand. 

Vamdemon stumbled back only a little, but that little was all Wizarmon needed to squeeze past him and rush for the steps that led to the corridors. He knew those corridors would lead to the outer rooms, which would give him access to windows he could fly through. 

Vamdemon's voice rang throughout the castle. “Wizarmon is declared a traitor from this moment onward. He released my prisoner and has abducted LadyDevimon and stolen treasure from my sanctuary. I want him brought to me _alive_. If one of the flock brings him back, you may hunt as you please for a month. If someone else does, you may name your reward. All that is within my power to grant is yours.” 

Wizarmon spied a window ahead and was in the air a heartbeat later. He wanted to shout with joy, before a collection of Digimon drew around the corner of the stairs, headed by DeviDramon. And not just any DeviDramon. Wizarmon knew this one quite well. When all of this war had begun, he'd been PicoDevimon, Vamdemon's personal spy and snitch. 

“Hey! There he is!” There were still echoes of that voice in the one he had now, though this one came from a deeper chest and more powerful body. “Let's get him!” 

DeviDramon leaped forward, claws reaching, and Wizarmon shot through the window at top speed, the glass tearing into him. He didn't make it as far as he wanted to; DeviDramon's claws dug into his cape and started to pull him back toward the castle. He struggled and strained, hampered by the box in one hand, and started to lift his wand, flame igniting on the tip of it once again. 

A hand struck against his wrist, and the wand fall to the ground, far out of his sight. He jerked his head upward to stare into a set of crimson red eyes, and a face almost identical to his own, though far more...fiery. 

“I think I like the idea of being able to claim any reward I desire from Vamdemon-sama,” a harsh and cold voice spoke. A wand that brought to mind an unlit matchstick flamed into life. “I think I might ask him if I can burn a few Digimon you know. Maybe one of them in particular.” 

FlaWizarmon smiled, a slash of shadows and flame, before two words and fire took over Wizarmon's world. 

“Fire Cloud!” 

**To Be Continued**


	30. The First

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 30: The First  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,841||story: 79,580  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** Mimi x Sora/Sora x Mimi still exists, though they don't show up in this chapter. Mentions of vampirism throughout the story, as well as violence and death.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

“Look! It's the Digital World!” He held the picture close to his chest for a few moments before spinning around, eyes wide and wet with tears that he didn't want to admit were there. “We're really here, Hiroki! We made it!” 

There wasn't any answer. There never was one; Hiroki had always been the quiet type, and even more so these days. 

Oikawa knew very well why that was. He wasn't stupid. But he didn't like to think about it very much, so he kept the picture close and that was good enough. At least for now. They'd survived the last horrid decade on Earth, and made it here. He couldn't think of anything that would make this moment any better. 

Which was why he kept moving on to new moments, to leaping through the fields of grass and flowers, darting through tall trees of types he had never seen before, leaping over rivers, trying not to notice eyes of various kinds looking at him from all manner of lairs and hiding places. 

He was here. _They_ were here, in a place where he'd almost given up hope of ever being. The Digital World. 

_I wish we could've done this together._ He shoved the thought away as quickly as it came. They were together, as together as they'd ever be. His grip tightened on the picture, but he warned himself to be careful. He didn't have anywhere he could take it if the glass broke. 

He hadn't had anywhere he could take it for the last ten hellish years, so he had a lot of practice in not breaking this. He'd brought along his favorite blanket to wrap the picture in when he slept, just so nothing would happen to it while he couldn't watch it personally. 

At the back of his mind there lurked the promise he'd made to the others; he needed to find two children. He didn't forget, really, he hadn't. He just had trouble remembering that he needed to do it at the moment. He breathed in and out, almost squealing at the thought that this was digital air, air that Digimon breathed. Everything he touched or saw or heard was digital, part of the world that he'd all but given up hope of seeing again. 

He leaned his head against a tall, slender tree trunk and sighed, the picture still clutched close to him. He wanted to explore around forever. There would be Digimon looking for him – and he couldn't deny the thrill that such a thing gave him, to have actual Digimon _looking for him_ , aware of his existence! - and it would probably be better if he found somewhere he could stay for a while. 

Oikawa wasn't even certain anymore of how long he'd been here. The sheer pleasure of _being here_ overwhelmed everything else. From the way his stomach rumbled on occasion, long enough to have missed a few meals at the very least. 

_There has to be food I can eat here._ He couldn't be sure if he would recognize it if he saw it. Maybe if he waited to see what some of the local Digimon ate? 

Did Digimon cook their food? Surely some of them did. He'd never gotten close enough to any of those who made their home on Earth to ask. He didn't think any of them would've answered him even if he had. 

A part of him wondered if perhaps he hadn't thought this trip all the way through. When Ishida and Takaishi wanted someone to search for their sons, he'd volunteered almost before the words finished falling from Ishida's lips. The thought of finding them hadn't been nearly as important to him as seeing this world with his own eyes. 

Now that he was here, though, Oikawa found another thought prowling through his mind: what did he do next? What could he do here? Finding those two boys came to mind, but saying he'd come do that and doing it were two different matters. He didn't even know where to start looking for them. 

He glanced over to one side. He wasn't sure if that was where he'd come from at all, but somewhere around here was the gate where he'd crossed over. He'd fled the area almost as soon as he'd set foot here, not wanting any of the Digimon on guard there to trap him. They hadn't seemed to know what to do with a human on their side of the gate, which was the only reason he'd been able to escape in the first place. 

_They're looking for me._ That still gave him a shiver and he thought it might be a better idea if he didn't think about it very much. 

The more time he spent there, the more everything seemed to be a little different around him. The sky a little more blue, the grass and leaves greener, everything richer and more vibrant. He breathed in silently, fingers of his free hand flexing against the tree he leaned against. 

Food. Water. Shelter. A place where he could start looking for the boys. He wanted to carry out the mission he'd come here for. He'd have to find a way to get in touch with the others back at the base as well. Maybe if he found Yamato and Takeru then they would know a way? 

Only slowly did he realize how little he knew of this world and the beings that were in it. The small images he'd seen on his computer screen as a child didn't begin to compare to what he saw here now. 

He kind of wished, the more he thought of it, that he could have guides here. Perhaps even a partner of his own? 

That idea flickered warmly through his mind and heart. A Digimon partner of his own. 

Most humans he knew wouldn't have wanted a Digimon as a partner if their lives and souls depended on it. But Oikawa Yukio had always known he was a little bit different from everyone else. He didn't see any reason to stop now. 

* * *

Whoever he was, he didn't have the first idea of how to survive on his own in the Digital World. Yamato's lip curled at the sight of the human as he wandered here and there, his small treasure clutched close to him. The blond hadn't been able to get close enough to see what it was, but he could tell the other valued it more than anything else just by the way he kept it close. 

_We could probably leave him here and if he didn't starve to death, someone would end up eating him inside of a week._

Without their partners, that would've been their fate almost from the beginning, he knew, and this human, adult or not, wasn't any different. If anything, he was worse off, because he was alone, and they'd at least had each other back then. 

Yamato bit his lip for a moment, then turned his thoughts firmly away from that. Those days were long gone, and he didn't need to distract himself from work now. 

Garurumon lifted his head a little, turning his nose to the prevailing wind, then glanced toward his partner. “Takeru's coming.” He kept his voice pitched low enough so the human wouldn't be likely to hear them. They were far enough away that he likely wouldn't have heard them anyway, but caution dictated matters anyway. 

Yamato nodded, shifting himself to get more comfortable underneath his chosen hiding place. The thought of spending a few hours, if not days, tracking this human and finding out if he was in any way connected to Gennai, along with his brother, seemed a perfectly suitable way to spend his time. He and Takeru didn't get nearly enough quality time together. Neither of them liked leaving Piemon on his own, knowing there were far too many people in the castle who would take a chance to strike at him without one of the two humans who watched his back. 

But they had seen what he did to those who tried that anyway. It had been very...educational. And messy. Piemon could handle himself more than well enough. 

That didn't mean they liked it, but it did mean they could do it. If he'd had any disagreements on Yamato's request, he would've expressed them himself. There was nothing to worry about here. 

Two shapes fluttered down from above, one his long-limbed brother, the other Takeru's partner. He didn't stay evolved long, shifting back to Patamon in a heartbeat. If they needed his blades, then Musyamon would be back just as swiftly. 

“Well?” Takeru contained so much in one single word. He could convey almost as much as Yamato could like that, really. They'd learned well from each other over the years. 

Yamato flicked one finger to where the human still wandered around the clearing, intent on hunting food if the way he examined the leaves and branches were any clue. Or maybe he just wanted to exclaim over them some more. Yamato had seen him doing both in the last couple of hours. 

Takeru bent down, peering through the concealing branches, before he settled down to where he could keep a continuous watch on the stranger. “Any ideas yet on who he is?” 

Yamato shook his head, moving over to settle beside his brother. He sorted through everything he could think of and how best to let Takeru know. In the end, he turned toward Garurumon, one hand thumping the ground lightly in a bit of frustration. 

“We've watched him for a while now,” Garurumon spoke up. “He hasn't done much other than wander around, and speak to that picture he holds. He's used the name 'Hiroki'.” 

Takeru's eyes narrowed; the name was similar enough to the father they'd known on Earth to give them both pause. After ten years, neither of them considered Ishida Hiroaki to actually _be_ their father in any significant fashion any longer. But hearing a name so much like theirs brought back all but forgotten memories for both of them. 

Yamato closed his eyes and shook his head a fraction. Takeru knew without needing any translator what that meant. Work now, play in the past later. He looked back at the stranger. 

“He could be connected to Gennai.” 

Yamato nodded, tracing a small design on the ground between them. There weren't many ways for humans to cross between the worlds, which could only mean that either Gennai or some Digimon was involved, and there weren't many Digimon who could arrange for that crossing either. The only one either of them knew about was Vamdemon, and if he'd sent the human, then Piemon would know about it. 

A small smile suddenly touched Takeru's lips and he leaned a bit closer to Yamato. “Maybe Vamdemon sent this one as a trade for Pinnochimon?” 

Laughing was as hard for Yamato these days as speaking was, but he managed a small choked cough that sufficed. He shook his head; even Vamdemon would send a better trade than this human, who looked barely to understand where he was more than half the time. And he would've been sent directly to the palace anyway. 

Still, it was good for a few chuckles. 

He rubbed his hand over his sword-hilt, wondering if it would be best to simply go out and take the human to Piemon or to wait and see what he had in mind. If the stranger did have some connection to Gennai, and he couldn't imagine how he wouldn't, then an interrogation could lead to Gennai's whereabouts. 

That led to a very delicious mental image of finally being able to put an end to Gennai, and eventually to Vamdemon. Yamato liked that thought, far more than he could remember liking anything at all. 

Takeru brushed his fingers across the back of Yamato's hand to get his attention. “What do you say to playing a little?” 

Yamato cocked his head at that, a slight frown forming. Takeru grinned, a swift slash of upturned lips that few who'd known him as a child would've imagined he could make. And the idea that he spelled out sang to both of them. 

Piemon _truly_ would approve. 

* * *

Oikawa wasn't certain of what was going on. For the last couple of days, food seemed to almost appear. He still had to look for it, but when he did, strange Digimon – and never the same one twice – lurked and crashed in the bushes and trees, sending him skittering in various directions, until he either encountered a tree thick with fruit or a stream that held various kinds of fish. 

It did make staying here a little easier, but it also put him on edge. Something, or someone, somewhere watched him. And they saw fit to make certain he had food, but not to show up themselves. 

_I don't like this._ He didn't know what to think of it, other than to be wary. On Earth whenever food appeared mysteriously, it was better to avoid it altogether, in case it was a plant by the vampires. That kind of thing had happened more than once. He'd never known anyone it happened to, but stories spread, especially when one lived with a group of former reporters. 

But there weren't any vampires here, not so far as he'd heard. The Digimon here were ruled by Piemon, whoever that was. He'd heard Ishida and the others talking about him, but he hadn't paid very much attention to them. He almost wished now that he had. It might have made what was going on here more understandable. 

But now he stared at a pile of fruit that resembled nothing on Earth, and tasted nothing like it either, but which would keep him going for another few days, and his eyes narrowed in quick, harsh thought. He glanced at the picture of Hiroki, then looked up and around. 

“Who are you? What do you want? Why do you keep giving me these things?” 

Silence was the only answer he gained at first. He thought it would go on forever, and wondered if those who'd brought it here were gone already. That would be just his luck, that he asked at last, and they weren't there. 

Then a voice spoke. “We could ask you the same questions. This is _our_ world, not yours. You don't belong here.” 

Oikawa looked around even more quickly, hand dropping to the knife he carried. It wasn't a good knife; he thought it had been a steak knife in the long ago past, bent and it never had taken a good edge. But it was what he had. 

Wind whispered somewhere and he turned around to see a young man in front of him. The sword _he_ carried was as much unlike his own knife as it could be, long and sharp and perfectly balanced, and from the set of his shoulders and the determination in his eyes, he knew well how to use it. 

What surprised Oikawa more than anything else was the silvery mask that covered this stranger's features from forehead to lips. Faint burn marks could be seen in a few other places as well. 

“I wouldn't move much, if I were you. My brother can skewer you where you stand, and neither one of us would lose sleep over it.” The same voice that had spoken before did so again, and this time it came from behind Oikawa. “Now, are you going to tell us who you are? We've been watching you. We have a few other questions we want to ask as well, and you'd better tell us the truth.” 

Oikawa swallowed, wishing he could move to see the other speaker. From the cold, remote look in this masked man's eyes, he would indeed drive his sword through someone, and never fret a moment over it. “My name is Oikawa Yukio. I was sent here from Earth to try to find Ishida Yamato and Takaishi Takeru.” 

The armed man's gaze flicked for no more than a heartbeat to someone behind him, then back to Oikawa. His lips moved, a single word falling from them, harsh as stone grating against stone. “Why?” This was not a voice that spoken often or well, and Oikawa wondered why he had for this. 

“Their parents are my friends. They sent me to look for them.” 

Oikawa could feel another presence at his back, but still didn't dare move. He heard the light brush of feet through grass, and then someone moved past him to stand beside the masked one. Both of them were blond, with nearly identical cold blue eyes, and had to be related to each other. They were also human, not Digimon. 

He swallowed. Oh, no. This could _not_ be. 

The masked one raised his sword. Before he could make a move with it, another voice spoke, sharp and high and sending a happy thrill that Oikawa didn't recognize through him. 

“You leave my partner alone!” 

**To Be Continued**


	31. The Fear

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 31: The Fear  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,540||story: 82,120  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** Mentions of vampirism throughout the story, as well as violence and death.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

Ten years earlier, Yagami Taichi wouldn't have believed that someone could smell fear. But now with the barest hint of effort, he could scent it ever so clearly all over these humans. Most of them were taller than he was, and in other days might've been better built. But while he still bore the body of an eleven year old, he could crush any of them between his fingers as easily as if they made out of twigs. 

The only one that he wouldn't do that to was Daisuke. Daisuke was the Master's prey. Some of the others could be interesting to toy with; he thought two of them looked vaguely familiar. He strolled toward them lazily. 

"I've seen you before, haven't I?" He studied them carefully, enjoying the way they skittered back, pathetic little knives pointed toward him, as if metal could cause a vampire any harm. "I'm certain that I have." 

The taller one moved forward, standing in front of the other. "We've seen each other. You didn't have us then, and you won't have us now, Yagami." 

Taichi grinned, a sight that showed the sharp length of his fangs. "Really. What makes you think that?" 

"Because I'm not going to let you have them." That came from Daisuke, all but throwing himself in between Taichi and the other two. "You want them, you go through me." 

"Daisuke..." The younger one murmured the name, one hand reaching out to touch the blood pet's arm. "You should be getting out of here." 

"I do a lot of things I _shouldn't_ be doing." Daisuke cast a quick glance over his shoulder and Taichi thought he saw a smile there. "If anyone needs to go, it's all of you." 

Taichi came closer, enjoying watching them move back. "He's right, you know. If there's anyone here that we want, it's him. The rest of you are dinner. He's...special." 

"You don't think we went to all that trouble of getting you out of there for you to go back, do you?" The taller one asked, eyes narrowing as his attention shifted back and forth between Daisuke and Taichi. 

The vampire frowned at that. That sense of familiarity tugged at him again and he took a better look at the two. They looked enough like one another to be brothers, and while that didn't help him identify them, looking closer did spark something. 

"Now I remember you." He smiled again, and his fangs glinted dangerously in the pale shimmers of light from the small sparks of flames that sputtered here and there. "You're the ones who took our Master's pet away from him in the first place." 

Oh, this was _delicious_! They weren't as wanted as Daisuke himself was but Vamdemon-sama would certainly love to know that they'd been found. Taichi wondered if he might actually get to have one of them as a reward. From the way the younger one and Daisuke kept exchanging looks...ohh, yes, he _wanted_ that younger one now. More than he could remember wanting anything. 

"And like we said already, we're not going to let him go back." The taller one moved around Daisuke, much to the other's clear annoyance, and raised the arm wielding the knife. "Not now, and not ever." 

Taichi took another step forward, and this time the others didn't move back. "I didn't ask your opinion. My master wants him, and he wants all of you dead. Of course, if I happen to take a few years for _some_ of you, I'm sure he wouldn't mind." 

"Taichi." One of the older humans moved forward, stumbling before she got back on her feet. "You knew my sons, didn't you?" 

He frowned at her. "Do you always interrupt other people's conversations?" Weren't old people supposed to have manners? He vaguely recalled people having complained about how young ones didn't, when he'd been human. 

"Answer me!" She glared at him, trying a look that had probabaly worked on children in the past. Too bad for her that he wasn't a child anymore. 

"You have two choices. You can shut up and let me finish with them, or you can keep talking and I tear your throat out. I can kill and talk at the same time. It's your decision," Taichi said. He didn't like the way she looked at him. Her scent rang oddly familiar, though he couldn't recall having met her before. It wasn't so much her, as it reminded him of someone else that he knew. He couldn't put his mental finger on just who it was, though. 

She started to move closer, before another of the humans closed one hand around her wrist. "Natsuko, he's not going to tell us anything even if he knew where Yamato and Takeru were." 

Well, now that did get his attention. He turned a more thoughtful look on the old humans, while keeping his ears perked for whatever Daisuke and his human friends might try to do. "You mean Piemon-sama's sons? They're in the Digital World." 

"They're not his sons!" The two humans spoke almost in one breath. Taichi would've been more impressed if he remembered what breathing was like in the first place. Now that he paid attention, the man carried that same hint of familiarity, and perhaps it was...yes. Yes, it was. He hadn't _smelled_ Yamato and Takeru in years, but now he realized where that familiarity came from. 

"They're as good as. Do you think they'd even recognize you if they met you? Or care if they did? They're his warriors now, and they bring the fear of his name to everywhere they go in the Digital World," Taichi said. He tapped his fingers on his arm for a moment. "I don't think you'd recognize them, either. They're both very different from the babies they used to be." 

He shrugged, interest in the conversatoin slipping away as he looked back toward Daisuke. He couldn't forget what his master wanted, after all. "Now, Daisuke, are you going to come along quietly, or am I going to have to start killing people for you to do as you're told? The Master has your old collar waiting for you. He's quite looking forward to putting it back on you." 

Daisuke's hands snapped up and Taichi's eyes widened as he saw what the other held. This was somewhat different from a simple metal knife. 

"Crossbow, Yagami. It has enough strength to pierce even your skin, and the bolts are made out of _wood_." Daisuke's smile held no more humor than Taichi's own. "Now, you're going to listen to me. You're going to leave these people alone. That includes all of them," he jerked his head toward the older humans, most of whom were too busy fleeing from Mimi, Sora, and Jou to notice what was going on, "and my friends here too." Now he gestured with one finger toward the ones more of his own age. 

Taichi didn't move. Wood alone could truly kill a vampire; Vamdemon had made that clear over the years. Never before had he been so close to somethign that could cause final death. "What do you want?" 

His fellow vampires still moved among the other humans, picking some of them off and enjoying a good feed. They weren't close enough to get there before the bolt went through Taichi, if Daisuke fired it. 

He could die here. He could die and _stay dead_ , and Taichi wasn't certain if he could wrap his mind around that possibility. Vamdemon-sama had told them all that they were far superior to humans now, that nothing humans could ever do could hurt them for more than a few seconds. Only sunlight and wood could bring them harm, and he'd blotted out the sun, and without the sun, trees and bushes didn't grow as strong or as thick. 

But he could see those bolts now, and whatever method had made them, they were very strong and very thick and very capable of piercing his heart. 

"I told you already." Daisuke's crossbow didn't waver, and Taichi realized now what he should have earlier: there was no doubt at all that Daisuke was the hunter. And it all made sense: who else would hate vampires to the extent of seeking a weapon that could kill them like this? 

Daisuke raised the weapon a fraction higher; it would still cause fatal damage, but it got Taichi's attention focused on him even more clearly. "Now, call off the rest of the pack. We're leaving. And not with you." 

Fangs didn't make it a good idea to grind one's teeth together but Taichi thought about it anyway. He knew what his master's orders were, but the thought of sinking those teeth into Daisuke's neck and drinking until there was nothing left to drink. 

"Do you think this will stop Vamdemon from hunting you?" Taichi wasn't going to let this just slip away. He needed to have something to show to his master. "We can track you wherever you go. There's nowhere that you can hide and no one who will protect you." 

"We can protect ourselves," Daisuke said, head held high. "Now, call them off!" 

Taichi snarled before lifting his own head. "Mimi. Sora. Jou." The moment he had their attention, he waved them over. They'd heard what was going on and none of them looked any happier about it than he was. 

"Master _wants_ him," Mimi said, eyes resting on Daisuke before shifting over to the knot of other rebels. "And I want _her_." Her gaze rested on the one with long violet hair. 

Taichi didn't think he'd _ever_ heard that kind of language coming from someone when he wasn't actually chasing them down or feeding from them. To hear it when Mimi had merely mentioned she wanted them? Impressive. 

"Oh, no! Oh, _no way_!" The girl Mimi targeted shook her head so hard and so fast her hair struck both people to her sides. "There's not enough _no_ in the universe! In any universe! In every universe! In _all_ the universes! There could never be enough no!" 

One of the others there - Taichi wondered if it was worthwhile to try to learn their names and decided not to - shook her head, rubbing her ear. "I think we heard you the first time, Miyako." 

"Yeah, why don't you tell us how you really feel about it?" Daisuke muttered. Taichi approved of one thing; Daisuke hadn't stopped watching him for a moment. Good boy. If Vamdemon ever wanted to turn him, he'd make a fine vampire. 

But, first things first. "You know I'm telling you the truth. Vamdemon-sama wants you and he _will_ have you. Can you hide behind your friends forever? Can you hide behind that cheap piece of kindling forever?" Taichi shook his head. "This world is his and there's nothing that any of you can do to change that." 

One of the surviving older people started to make a noise, only to get shushed hard by the woman who'd spoken to him. Taichi didn't think much of it. Knowing humans, he likely only wanted to insist they'd take their world back one day. Taichi wasn't in the mood to listen to that kind of prattle. 

"Get out of here." Daisuke jerked the tip of his crossbow up a fraction. "And don't you worry about what I'm going to do. All you really need to know is that I'm going to make sure all of you die. Especially Vamdemon." 

Taichi let a slow chuckle slide out of his mouth. "I'll be certain to let him know." As if Vamdemon could be taken out by such a weak little thing as a crossbow. But let Daisuke think that. It would make finding the truth out that much sweeter. 

He flicked one hand, and the rest of the pack backed away. They'd done enough damage here anyway, short of actually capturing Daisuke himself. There weren't that many left of the older ones, which meant his packmates were well-fed, and in a very good mood from having hunted so well. He still needed a bite himself, but he thought he could pick someone up along the way. 

Aside from that, this place wouldn't ever be able to hold humans safely again, not without far more work than they could put into it. One less hole for them to hide in, which meant more humans roaming the streets freely, and more food for the vampires to hunt. 

He backed away, attention firmly set on Daisuke for as long as he could. He breathed in deeply, marking each and every scent there. He didn't need to know their names, but their mark was set in his mind. He would know them when they crossed paths again, and there was no way that they wouldn't. 

"Farewell, for now." He smiled before he took off, joining the rest of the pack in the dark skies. 

"Master's not going to like that we found him and didn't bring him back," Jou said as soon as Taichi arrived. "What are you going to tell him?" 

Taichi chuckled, moving toward the castle. "That we found him and I have his scent. I can track him anywhere he goes once I find him again. He's not safe. _None_ of them are safe, no matter what they think." He licked his lips. "You say you want that girl with him? The one with the long hair?" 

Mimi nodded, eyes rich with a demented glee he hadn't seen in her in years. "I like her energy. She's going to taste delicious, I know it." She glanced over at Sora. "We can share her. I'm sure there's enough for both of us." 

"I'd like that." Sora's fingers brushed over Mimi's for a few moments. "If the Master approves, we can keep her for a long, long time." 

Taichi didn't argue that; when he wasn't imagining how best to bring Daisuke to heel, his thoughts turned and tumbled themselves all over that younger boy, the one Daisuke seemed so concerned about. There would be blood-pets coming out of this without a doubt. 

* * *

Not all that far away, Pinnochimon saw the vampire flock heading away and glowered at them all. The more he met vampires, the less he wanted anything to do with them. He couldn't even manage to find himself a good place to rest without them interfering! 

But now he had to wonder, what were they doing around here? Hunting? That would mean humans in the area, and Pinnochimon liked humans just a little less than he did vampires. 

_Maybe I should see if they left anything worth having._ He was still supposed to go to Vamdemon's castle, but he'd found excuse after excuse to avoid getting there. This would do for yet another one. 

Maybe he'd even find some humans that he could play with. They weren't all that fun here, but he was willing to stretch out just a little these days. He wanted to practice, in case he ever decided to return to the Digital World, and could have a little fun with Piemon's brats. 

One thing he would agree with the vampires on, it was fun to watch the humans run.

**To Be Continued**


	32. The Wait

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 33: The Wait  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,696||story: 87,541  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** Mimi x Sora/Sora x Mimi still exists, though they don't show up in this chapter. Mentions of vampirism throughout the story, as well as violence and death.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

LadyDevimon never let her attention stray from Hikari for more than a few moments. She still had to watch out for any kind of attack, or even roaming humans or Digimon, but she watched over the young human regardless. Hikari looked the same as she always had, at least where her looks and tattered outfit were concerned. 

Her attitude was where a real change had occurred. Instead of spending her time staring up into the nothingness of her cell or the back of her closed eyelids, now Hikari looked around everywhere, skittering here and there as she explored the outside. There wasn't much to see, in LadyDevimon's opinion, but Hikari stared at it all as if she'd never seen much magnificence in her entire life and wasn't sure if she'd ever see it again. 

She picked up small rocks and turned them over in her hands, brushed her fingers across pale, half-dead grass, stared at small birds as they flittered around, stealing what nourishment they could get from the few bugs that could be found. 

Voices gusted by on the wind, and LadyDevimon gestured quickly to her charge. Hikari bit her lip but came over to her without question, her voice as soft as a whisper, as if to avoid being heard by the Veggimon. 

“What is it?” 

“Someone's coming. I don't know who.” It could be Wizarmon or someone that he sent, but LadyDevimon wasn't going to take the chance. She glanced around; there wasn't much to hide behind here and her only option seemed to be a small derelict building. It was too small to hold more than the two of them, which suited LadyDevimon perfectly at the moment as she drew Hikari into it, keeping one hand free to unleash her attack if it became necessary. 

“Do you really think those kids can help us, Hiroaki?” That was a woman's voice, and she sounded quite tired. LadyDevimon listened, hoping that Hikari would remain quiet this time. Some part of her did not protest that whoever it was that passed by wasn't that Ken. Hikari wouldn't have kept quiet in that case, and LadyDevimon wasn't entirely ready to share with anyone else. 

“I don't think we have any other options.” Hiroaki sounded every bit as tired as the woman. “What I don't trust is that Digimon they keep wanting to talk to.” 

LadyDevimon tensed, trying not to tighten the hand that rested on Hikari's shoulder. What Digimon could they speak of? Had someone else dared to stand up against Vamdemon? Or could they speak of Wizarmon? 

Regardless it seemed that these particular humans weren't very fond of this Digimon, and she decided it was better to stay out of sight. She was hardly the most trustworthy Digimon for most to see. 

_I used to be._ She didn't often think about those long ago days, but it had been so much easier to be Tailmon then. Though she didn't deny that being LadyDevimon gave her more than enough power to defeat virtually anyone that raised a hand against Hikari. 

“We'll have to take the chance,” the woman said, and sighed. “I hope they don't take too long.” 

LadyDevimon watched as they moved on out of sight. Perhaps they could've helped, telling her where the portal was, but she wasn't going to take a chance. Wizarmon was still out there somewhere, and he hadn't been gone so long that she wanted to jump out asking for help from anyone who passed by. 

She did give a look or two as they passed, wondering if they could've helped in other ways. Getting to the Digital World could take longer than she'd thought, especially with all the hustle and bustle going on at the castle now. She craned her head around until she could get a look back that way. 

They'd come reasonably far from the castle, perhaps not as far as they'd gone on that day trip, but enough so that she could see Digimon moving here and there, trying to deal with the chaos their escape had caused. Whatever else was going on she couldn't tell; only flickers of flame that water-bearing types were busy trying to control, and movements that could have been anything from people searching for them to troops on maneuvers. 

She wanted Wizarmon back, for what information he could give them if nothing else. He hadn't mentioned what it was he wanted to get, and she couldn't imagine it would be all that important. _He_ thought it would be, so perhaps it would have something to do with defeating Vamdemon? Spellbooks? Spell components? Perhaps even an ally of some kind? 

All that either of them could do was wait and see. LadyDevimon was not very good at waiting. She'd done so long enough, and the desire for action stirred through her. 

“He'll be back.” Hikari's quiet voice broke through her thoughts and the Digimon looked down at her in surprise. “I'm sure he will.” 

Her smile was clearly meant to cheer LadyDevimon up, and the Virus-type could not help but return it. Hikari's smile was too bright for anyone short of Vamdemon to resist. 

_Maybe he thinks he wouldn't be able to, and that's why he never wanted her to have anything to smile about._

It was an amusing enough thought, and gave her something to consider as the skies darkened with the coming of night, and Wizarmon failed to return. 

* * *

Hikari shivered; she couldn't recall having been actually cold. Her dungeon hadn't been blessed with summer's warmth, but it hadn't been _frozen_ either, and the longer they stayed out here, the more she began to think just a little fondly of those stone walls and the blanket she'd wrapped herself up in over the years. She knew every inch of it, exactly where all the holes were, and how much she needed to cover herself in order to sleep well. The blanket hadn't survived the escape. She missed it. 

But she didn't think she wanted to go back. Going back meant no longer having a name, and worse, it would mean no longer having LadyDevimon with her. There wasn't any way that Vamdemon would allow her guardian to watch over her further, not after all of this. 

And if there was one thing that Hikari knew, it was that she and LadyDevimon were meant to be with one another. No one else made her feel this safe. Wizarmon came close, but Hikari thought his full attention was reserved for someone else. Who, she didn't know. But it wasn't her. And she was just fine like that. 

But she still clung closer to LadyDevimon and hoped that it would warm up soon. Her stomach rumbled a little as well, and she wondered where the food would come from for her from now on. It was rather obvious that the Veggimon wouldn't stroll in with bowls of gruel or whatever else they'd decided to make for her. 

She tried to look on the bright side. She wouldn't have to have gruel. There could be other foods. Ones that actually had taste to them. The very idea set her mouth watering. Any kind of taste would do, so long as it was _something_. 

“You don't think they're going to be out here, do you?” It wasn't a voice she knew, but it was a voice all the same, and it wasn't a human one. She leaned closer to LadyDevimon, who had her head up and was looking around in an attempt to see wherever the speaker came from. 

“I hope not.” A second voice, a little more gravelly than the first, spoke up. “I want to get this over with and get back home.” 

A long sigh from the first. “I wish we were home. I don't like this world. It used to be fun, but not anymore.” 

Hikari started to stir, a deep-born instinct within her wanting to defend her world. She couldn't disagree very much about how Earth wasn't that much fun, though. It was true. She just didn't want them _hating_ it. 

LadyDevimon's hand rested on her shoulder again, tightening just enough to get her attention. Hikari glanced up in time to see the other shaking her head. Going out was not a good idea right now. 

She looked out anyway, wishing that Wizarmon would come back so they could get moving again. Maybe these two knew where he was? 

Again she started to say something, and again LadyDevimon's hand advised her not to. Hikari bit back a word that her mother might not have been happy to hear her say. She didn't want to stay cooped up in here any more than she'd ever wanted to stay in the dungeon. She'd _had_ to stay there, but here was different, wasn't it? 

Whoever they were, they were coming closer, and LadyDevimon held her more tightly. Hikari could hear her heart beating faster and faster with worry. _This is silly. They're not going to hurt us._

She could not have said how she knew. She only _knew_. 

Quicker than one might've thought, she wrenched herself away from her guardian and stumbled out to where the two Digimon had almost walked completely by them. 

“Hi!” She raised one hand as they turned in unison toward her. “I'm Hikari!” She could hardly believe it still that she had a real name, a name all of her own, and that she knew it. That she could tell it to other people, and they would know that it meant _her_. Not just Vamdemon's prisoner or the one that LadyDevimon guarded, but _her_. 

The two Digimon looked at each other, then at her. One of them looked like a little kid in a sack of some kind, with an orange...thing on his head, and … was that an ax in his...orange thing? Head? Was the orange thing his head? Hikari regretted those ten years of isolation more than ever now. 

The other one resembled nothing more nor less than a pile of rocks stuck together into a somewhat human form. His eyes were large and confused as he looked at her, then over at his friend again. 

“Hi?” He sounded as if he'd never greeted another person before. “Are you...the one we're looking for?” 

His friend smacked him on the arm. “You can't ask her like that! It's rude!” 

Hikari giggled at that. “It's okay. I don't know who you're looking for, so I don't know if I'm that one or not.” But she kind of thought she was. Who else would a pair of Digimon be looking for? 

“We're looking for someone that Vamdemon-sama told us to find. A human girl with a -” The sack-bodied Digimon's voice trailed off as he stared at something behind Hikari. She glanced back only for a second. 

“It's just LadyDevimon. She's not going to hurt you. Now what were you saying?” She knew that LadyDevimon _could_ hurt them, but since they hadn't done anything to her, then she _wouldn't_ , not yet, at least. 

“Pumpmon.” LadyDevimon turned her attention from one of them to the other. Hikari glanced up to see which one she named what. “Gotsumon. What are you two doing here?” 

Both of them fidgeted even more. “Nothing...just... kinda...” Pumpmon, the one in the sack outfit, muttered, looking around without actually making eye contact with anyone. 

“Just looking for Hikari because Vamdemon told you to.” LadyDevimon stared them both down, and both of them stared more at the gray earth and stones beneath them than anything else. 

“We're not going to hurt her,” Gotsumon said, rubbing one leg against the back of the other. “We won't even tell him that we saw anything. He's got lots of Digimon out looking. Even some humans, I think. He'll never know.” 

LadyDevimon moved closer, eyes narrowed and wary. “What about the pack?” 

“Them?” Pumpmon shook his head. “Not them. They're doing something else for him. Don't know what, though.” 

“There was some kind of _thing_ going on up there tonight,” Gotsumon said, jerking his head toward the castle still dimly visible. “Don't know what, but everyone was running around like they'd lost their heads. And then Vamdemon-sama called everyone together who wasn't busy and told them to go look for this human kid and the Digimon with her.” 

Something in what Gotsumon said made LadyDevimon far more uncomfortable than the simple words should have. Everything that happened was how she would've predicted Vamdemon would react. Find out as much as possible about what was going on, and then send everyone available to go hunt down his most prized captive. 

But she didn't trust it. Something else danced out of reach and it made her want to gather Hikari up and fly out of there, to wait for Wizarmon somewhere else, somewhere not in view of the castle. That was probably the better idea anyway. The gateway to the Digital World was somewhere in the area, but she'd be more than willing to make up the lost distance and time if it contributed to Hikari's safety. 

Hikari took a step closer to Pumpmon and Gotsumon. “Are you sure you wouldn't get into any trouble not telling about us?” 

“I don't think he really expected us to find you anyway,” Pumpmon said, rubbing the side of his head. “I know I didn't. I was figuring we'd just run around for a while and then go on back.” 

“Yeah! Besides - ” Gotsumon cast a quick glance at LadyDevimon, “you're a lot scarier than we thought you'd be.” 

Hikari stifled a giggle, though not by very much. The idea of LadyDevimon being all that scary just didn't make sense to her. But if it helped them not get in trouble, she wasn't going to argue about it. 

“You should probably wander around until it gets lighter. Really make it look like you put in the effort,” she suggested. “In fact, you probably would want to forget that we saw each other at all.” 

Honestly, Hikari didn't think they should forget, but she knew better than most how Vamdemon could be if he were in the mood to hurt someone. If they somehow let it slip that they _had_ seen her and LadyDevimon, then it would be a nightmare for all of them. She'd fled one such horror already. She wasn't going to go back to it. 

The two of them exchanged another look, then Pumpmon nodded. “Yeah, that's a really good idea. It was nice not meeting you!” 

“I wish we could have! I bet we'd be friends if we did!” Gotsumon added in, grinning. Hikari grinned back at them. 

“Maybe the next time we don't run across each other, we can be friends then?” She really did hope that they would somehow meet again, and this time they would be able to really get to know each other. The more Digimon that she met, the more she liked them, and the more she wanted to help them get back to their own world. Most of them liked it there, and didn't want to stay in this place. 

_It's all because of Vamdemon. He's the one who started all of this._ Hikari turned her attention to the castle, absently waving as Gotsumon and Pumpmon headed down a different trail, chatting animatedly to one another about anything and everything except the targets they didn't want to find and had most certainly never seen, not at all. 

“I think we should leave here,” LadyDevimon said, her voice quiet and firm. “Those two may mean well enough, but if Vamdemon frowns at them the wrong way, then they could spill everything and not even be aware of it.” 

Hikari still watched the castle. She couldn't tell what was going on from there, but it made her nervous. She almost didn't hear LadyDevimon, until her partner nudged against her and repeated herself. 

“You're right.” For all of her lack of experience in the way people or Digimon worked, she knew how _Vamdemon_ worked. “Let's go.” 

Wizarmon would have to work to find them, but they both had faith that he would do so. They could have nothing else. 

**To Be Continued**


	33. The Sacrifice

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 32: The Sacrifice  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,725||story: 84,845  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** Mimi x Sora/Sora x Mimi still exists, though they don't show up in this chapter. Mentions of vampirism throughout the story, as well as violence and death.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

Deep silence held in the ruined room for long moments after the vampires left. They'd left destruction, death, and devastation behind, in every way that they could. Daisuke ground his teeth together. That was just like them. Vampires ruined _everything_. They wanted to ruin it, they _loved_ ruining it. Vamdemon had destroyed their entire world and spent the time since grinding it down into a pathetic mess. 

He had to be stopped. It wouldn't put the world back to the way it had once been, but they could at least try. They could start to rebuild. They wouldn't have evil Digimon keeping them down anymore. 

“So you're the one that he's been looking for. I thought your name was familiar.” One of the surviving adults stared down at Daisuke. He'd barely noticed her coming over to him. He didn't like that look on her face. “He wants you, you know.” 

“Yeah, I guessed that.” Daisuke slid his crossbow and bolts back to their holsters and rubbed his forehead. What he wouldn't give for a hot bath and something to eat and just to let all of this stressful day slip into the back of his mind. 

“He's promised that if he doesn't have you, he'll turn over a dozen people in the slave-pens to his pack and let them do as they please with them.” Her fists clenched and unclenched as she stared him in the face. “My _son_ is in those pens.” 

Oh. Oh, this was not good. Daisuke didn't think he could even run away if he needed to. His legs wobbled a bit and that was it. Part of his defiance against the vampires had been raw hatred; the rest had been the fact he just couldn't move after everything that happened. 

But Ken could and Ken still stood by his side. “There are better ways to deal with this than to turn Daisuke over to him. We can find a way to get your son out of there.” 

“What about everyone else who is in there?” Iori spoke up. “We can't just save one person and not all of them.” 

“What we need to do is get rid of Vamdemon and the pack altogether.” Miyako rubbed her chin, apparently having put the thought that two of the other vampires also wanted her right out of her mind. “I'm not so certain that turning Daisuke over _wouldn't_ help there.” 

Daisuke had never known Ken could say words like that. He wondered if he'd learned from from Miyako. She'd proven to have an expressive vocabulary herself today as well. The things that they were learning about each other on this excursion... 

He reached down to clench Ken's arm and hopefully quiet him. “What are you talking about?” He trusted Miyako didn't just mean to throw him to the wolves – or in this case the vampires – without some kind of a plan in mind. Or if she didn't have a plan, he _wanted_ one before he'd even consider this. Something more than 'it will make sure not as many people die'. 

“Simple. We're at least considering going to the Digital World to find their kids, right?” Miyako waved one hand between Mr. Ishida and Ms. Takaishi. “We just need to talk to Wizarmon about it to get more information. That means we also need someone to distract Vamdemon so that he's not paying attention to what's going on in the Digital World. And there's only one person who can really pull that off.” 

Daisuke swallowed. He didn't like it. He could see a hundred problems that could come up from it, and from the way Ken was looking at Miyako, he probably saw a hundred more. Maybe a thousand more. 

But problems or not, he couldn't deny that it at least had a chance to work. 

“So how do I stop him from making me one of the pack?” He wanted an answer to that right away. Vamdemon had considered it in his hearing before, and all that had stopped him at the time was that Daisuke wasn't old enough then. Not that age was a complete problem for turning; the flock ranged from ten to twelve when they'd been changed. But what else Vamdemon had said...well...that wasn't an issue now. 

There were plenty of nights Daisuke didn't sleep because of those memories. He'd rather he didn't have more of them, and for more reason. 

“There isn't a way. He could turn you the moment that you're there,” Ken said, biting the words off as sharply as any vampire. “It's a ridiculous idea and I'm not going to let you do it, Daisuke.” 

“So what else can we do?” Miyako asked before Daisuke could open his mouth. She folded her arms over her chest and gave Ken a very good glare. “Are we actually going to do something or just let everything we've worked for fade away because we can't take chances?” 

“Chances?” Ken's tone could've frosted solid stone. “This is Daisuke's life. _Our_ lives, because the moment Vamdemon turned him, he'd tell Vamdemon everything about what we have planned, where our bases are, and about Wizarmon and everything _else_.” 

Daisuke winced; he hadn't even thought about that yet, and Ken was right. He knew way too much to just walk into Vamdemon's lair without any kind of backup. 

Miyako drew in breath and this time Daisuke interrupted her. “Come on, guys. It's a good idea, but you're both right. It would distract Vamdemon, but the cost is a lot higher than I think any of us want to deal with.” He wanted to just charge in and not worry about the consequences. He'd seen what happened to people when they did that, and it wasn't pretty. And very seldom could someone survive it. So he had to press against all of his innate urges to work this through. “Let's get hold of Wizarmon and find out what he knows. Maybe he'll have some ideas. 

Ishida and Takaishi didn't look as if they liked the idea of trusting a Digimon anymore now than they had before. Osamu moved toward them. 

“I've said it before, Wizarmon can be trusted. We'll need to return to our own base to contact him, though. How can we get in touch with you?” 

“You don't. We'll get in touch with you when we need to,” Ishida said, brushing himself off in a business-like fashion. “And we don't want anyone else knowing where we're going after this anyway.” 

That made sense, Daisuke knew. Their base had already been shattered and broken by the vampires once already. If anyone knew where they were going to relocate, it would happen all over again. 

_Which is why I can't go to Vamdemon without some kind of protection._ Protection that so far as they knew didn't exist. And if it did exist, none of them knew where it was or how to use it. 

Sometimes, it really did not pay to be on the side of good. 

* * *

Ken managed to keep himself under control as the group sorted itself out and headed away from the ruins of the building. The very idea of sending Daisuke back to the place he and Osamu had worked so hard to get him out of it made him sick to his stomach. And Daisuke wasn't even arguing against it, just that they needed to plan it better! 

Daisuke hated Vamdemon. They all knew that; it was why he was a part of their rebellion in the first place. But to choose to go back there, even as a distraction, or even for the chance to kill Vamdemon himself, that was far beyond hate and into the realms of insanity. 

Ken didn't think most of them were poster children for sanity as it was, but still, none of them had ever considered walking into the lion's den like this. 

_Part of why I like him._ He couldn't help the small flickers of a smile around his mouth at that. He did like Daisuke. And as far more than a friend. He hadn't said anything to Daisuke about it, and now wasn't the best time either. _Maybe if we can kill Vamdemon._ That sounded like the perfect time to ask Daisuke out. 

It wasn't as if dates were like they used to. Instead of a movie and dinner or a long walk by the river, most people interested in one another simply skipped that and made out with one another. Sometimes people put in the effort to craft something for their beloved, but Ken didn't know what he could make that Daisuke might actually like. 

Though the idea of some better carved bolts did intrigue him. He would have to think about it. More bolts, perhaps a better knife. There wasn't any way he would let Daisuke go to the castle without being armed to the teeth anyway. 

As if he'd let him go there at all, but if there were no other way, then Daisuke would carry a small armory along with him. 

Ken wanted to get back so Osamu could contact Wizarmon, and he wanted Wizarmon to have some kind of information that would make all of this completely useless speculation. 

But he'd learned years earlier not to entirely trust to hope, not in this world. 

* * *

Osamu gave Ken and Daisuke their space as the group sorted itself out and started to work their way to the top to head for home. He took the point, gesturing Iori to the rear, and Miyako and Jun to the sides. No one said anything overtly about it, but they were all keeping an eye on Daisuke, just in case one of the pack thought it a good idea to drop down out of the sky and pluck him away from them. 

_Yagami would do it, too._ If the brunet even looked like he were going to try it where Osamu could see him, Osamu had already made up his mind to put a bolt through the vampire's shriveled heart if he had to throw it there himself. 

There was so much they had to do, and he knew at the top of his list was to get in touch with Wizarmon. That sent a special kind of thrill to him, an eagerness that he had no words for, and only could express as a simple _yes_. He wanted to see Wizarmon again. It had only been a short while, perhaps a few hours, and yet he wanted to see him, talk to him, maybe figure out some way they could spend more time around each other. 

It honestly confused him and if he hadn't known better, he might well have thought he'd somehow fallen for a Digimon. Which he was fairly certain he hadn't, especially since he still glanced at Jun now and then with slightly more than thoughts of friendship. But Wizarmon had a place of his own with him, and Osamu wasn't entirely certain what that place was. 

He kind of wished he had a chance to talk to one of the Chosen. Sure, these days the only ones that he came close to being able to speak with were the ones that would shred him alive if given the opportunity, but surely they remembered what it was like to have partners? Was this what being a partner was like? 

On the other hand, there hadn't been a true Chosen Child in ten years. Four dead, three under the thumb of the monarch of the Digital World. No one wanted to see humans and Digimon being partners. 

_That's not true. Gennai does._ He hadn't said so much to Osamu in those words, but what he'd mentioned of humans and Digimon working together, what Wizarmon himself had mentioned...perhaps it could be done. 

Perhaps it would take talking to Wizarmon more to settle it for himself. He couldn't see any reason why he shouldn't do it. It would take them all working together to defeat Vamdemon anyway. This was just the beginning of something interesting. 

“Humans.” The voice wasn't Wizarmon's, but it held a level of contempt that only Digimon had for humans on Earth these days. Osamu had his knife out in a few seconds. “Oh, you think that could hurt me? Not a chance.” 

It took a moment for all of them to focus on where the voice came from. The Digimon sat on a spill of broken cement and logs a few feet away, staring at them with annoyed red eyes. It looked a great deal like a puppet of some kind, clumsily carved from wood, but with eyes that screamed of anger and madness, and carrying a mallet that looked more than capable of smashing anything struck with it to pieces. 

“Who are you?” Osamu didn't back down. All things considered, he was getting very annoyed at facing creatures that looked at what they could do for weapons and laugh at them. He would have given a great deal for the ability to blast this creature himself, or to at least have someone he could trust to do it for him. 

The image of warm, if wary, eyes floated in the back of his mind, but he shoved it away for now. Once he survived this, and made certain his companions did, then he could worry about Wizarmon and what their roles together were. 

“I'm Pinnochimon! One of the Dark Masters of the Digital World.” For a moment, he raised his mallet as if in salute, before he slid back down, head drooping. “Or I used to be.” 

“Used to be?” Miyako slipped just a fraction forward. “What do you mean?” 

“None of your business!” Pinnochimon waves his mallet at her fiercely. “Now you tell me what you're doing around here. You don't look like you're up to any good.” 

“We should be saying that to you,” Daisuke remarked, amusement twitching at his lips. “But if you really want to know, we're plotting the downfall and overthrow of Vamdemon.” 

It took Osamu all of his strength not to completely facepalm at that. He doubted if Pinnochimon would actually _believe_ Daisuke, but why take the chances? Why risk their lives? Had he lost it completely at the thought of going back to Vamdemon, willingly or not? 

Pinnochimon eyed them all. “Don't tell me that you think a bunch of stupid humans stand a chance against him. Don't you know what he does to humans?” 

“Of course we know!” Daisuke snapped, stepping forward, fists clenched. Osamu wished doubly hard that someone could invent a teleporting device so he could get them all out of there before something even worse happened, like Daisuke saying something that would get them all killed. “Why do you think we want to stop him?” 

“Humans. Just like those ones back in the Digital World. You think you can do anything if you just try hard enough.” Pinnochimon shook his head and shouldered his mallet. “Well, if you want to play with him, I'm not going to stop you. You'll just be dead idiots instead of idiots.” 

“You know something about humans in the Digital World?” Jun wanted to know. “What can you tell us?” 

“That they're no fun to play with at all, especially when they get older.” Pinnochimon made a face, shaking his head. “They start off being fun to chase around and make scream but when they start growing up, they start _hitting back_. I don't like the ones that hit back.” 

“I don't think they'd like you all that much either,” Daisuke muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets. “You don't look like you'd be fun to play with.” 

Pinnochimon was on his feet a second later, pointing one sharp-taloned finger at Daisuke. “That shows what you know! They all wanted to play with me when they were little! The little blond was lots of fun, but the big one wasn't, not once he got burned up anyway, and the one with the red hair and the brains...he wanted me to _help him_! Help him make something to stop Vamdemon! And I _did_ and he never came to talk to me again and I'm _never_ going back there!” 

Most of that flew over Osamu's head, and he didn't care. But one phrase stuck in his mind. “Something to stop Vamdemon?” 

**To Be Continued**


	34. The Escape

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 34: The Escape  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,723||story: 90,264   
**Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** Mimi x Sora/Sora x Mimi still exists, though they don't show up in this chapter. Mentions of vampirism throughout the story, as well as violence and death.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

“Where are they?” Scarlet energies lashed out from Vamdemon, slamming Wizarmon harder against the wall. He couldn't fall; the chains kept him there, but it took a fraction more strength than he actually had not to make a noise of pain. 

Wizarmon didn't remember how long he'd been here. There had been FlaWizarmon's fire and then he'd awoken in this dungeon, minutes or hours or even days later. From that moment, not a single instant had pasesd when he wasn't in some kind of agony. If it wasn't Vamdemon, then his fiery counterpart or DeviDramon did something to hurt him, mostly for the thrill of doing so, since unlike Vamdemon, neither of them asked him any questions. 

Vamdemon asked him only one. Wizarmon refused to answer. Over and over the same three words rang through his mind, and Wizarmon never stopped being grateful that he didn't know the answer. That he'd made certain he wouldn't know the answer. 

“Where _are_ they?” Vamdemon slashed at him one more time with Bloody Stream, and Wizarmon tilted his head back and gave voice to his pain, screaming at the top of his lungs. He didn't even try not to. Fighting it wouldn't have done anything but make it worse, and since he couldn't answer the question, he felt no shame at all in letting the world know what Vamdemon was doing to him. 

As if the world cared in the first place. This world had too much suffering of its own to deal with to worry with one little Digimon. 

A gloved hand tilted his head upward and he found his attention caught by mad blue eyes. “You must know where they are, Wizarmon. What does it profit you to keep it to yourself? What can they do without you? Neither of them knows anything about surviving here. They need me to keep them safe.” 

Wizarmon drew in a deep, hitching breath, and slowly shook his head. At least he thought he did. From the way Vamdemon glared at him, he probably had. 

“Why are you so stubborn? You've done nothing but condemn them to a slow death. Do you think I will harm my most loyal servant? LadyDevimon belongs to me. She would never go astray without your influence.” 

Wizarmon knew his mouth wasn't visible, but he smiled nevertheless. It seemed he knew his old friend far better than Vamdemon did. But there was no reason to let that slip. Instead, he let his head droop as best that he could and closed his eyes. It wasn't subterfuge; he needed all the rest that he could get. 

“Are you going to reformat him?” DeviDramon's voice, still as subservient as always to his lord and master. “If you are, can I do it? I really want to!” 

“No. Not yet. I have other plans for him,” Vamdemon said. Wizarmon didn't like the sound of that. He would have to get out of here as soon as he could. He didn't know how, but it was something that needed to happen. 

He didn't hear anything else; he wasn't even sure if they said anything else as they left. He sank down lower in the chains, his mind spinning and whirling. He couldn't stay here. Not that doing so had _ever_ been an option, but if he suffered under Vamdemon's torture much longer, he knew he'd give away the truth: that he might not know where they were, but he knew very well where Hikari and LadyDevimon _would be_. 

That couldn't be allowed to happen. They'd all done too much already to let themselves fall back into Vamdemon's clutches. So, the course before him was clear: get out of here, find his friends, and cross to the Digital World. After that, stay as far away from Vamdemon as possible, unti they were somehow strong enough to defeat him. If that ever happened. 

Wizarmon drew in deep breaths and fought back the pain. It wasn't easy and he knew he'd pay for it later, but for the moment, he pushed all thoughts of how much he hurt to the side, and lifted his head so he could examine the area. 

Hikari's old dungeon had been roomier than this, but she'd been meant to _live_ there, not to be a temporary occupant. This was a cell for someone with a short lifespan. Perhaps five paces from left to right, with another ten between him and the door; just enough room for someone to stand there and torture him. One door, thick and solid stone, currently closed and chained. 

The harder he fought, the clearer his thoughts became. They didn't need to get much clearer, since his objective wasn't difficult. But how to accomplish that objective, _that_ was the difficult part. 

_If I had my components, I could melt the chains._ He'd used up everything he had with Hikari's cell, though. And even in that event, getting them from inside of his cloak wouldn't have been easy. Perhaps not even possible, given how he was chained in the first place. 

What he could use was another person to undo all of this for him, someone who could get the keys to the cell and the chains, or just blow them up for him. He'd lived a long, lonely life, before and after meeting Tailmon all that long time ago, and until now, he'd never imagined what it would be like to have someone he could count on. 

An image flaoted in his mind for a few heartbeats: a young man with a spill of blue hair and sharp, alert eyes. He knew who it was: Osamu. Why would he think of a human at a time like this? When he was wondering what it would be like to have a … a … 

The word burst into his mind and fit into a small missing part of himself he'd never once thought existed, until now. 

_A partner._

He didn't know what made a Digimon and their partner, what bound them together, but in that moment, as he realized that he wanted Osamu's help, and he was equally glad the human wasn't anywhere near Vamdemon, he knew that he and Osamu _were_ partners. How this could be baffled him beyond words. But it was so. 

And it could do nothing to help him right now. If he were going to be able to do anything at all to help Osamu, then he needed to get out of here, and he would have to do it on his own. 

_And I could do that so much better if I had my staff._ He tilted his head enough to get a good look at the chains binding him. So far as he could tell, there wasn't anything magical about them, nothing that would prevent him from using his magic on them. Of course, he hadn't been able to detect the spell on the bars of Hikari's cell either, so he didn't want to rule out that something _could_ be there. All the variations on what could be done to keep him here ran through his head; sapping at his physical energy so he couldn't use his magic, draining his magic itself, something that would set up a backlash that would destroy him if he did manage to break the chains... 

And those were just the ones that _he_ could think of. Vamdemon had much more experience than he did with setting up ways to torment those who angered him. 

Given that his other option was to stay here and rot until the undead king decided it was finally time to get rid of him, Wizarmon knew that he'd have to take the chance. 

There would be guards somewhere, likely right outside the cell, and in other areas as well. Vamdemon did not like his prisoners escaping and set up everything he could to make sure they didn't. 

Wizarmon, on the other hand, enjoyed making certain that Vamdemon didn't get what he wanted, and since at the moment that included himself as a prisoner, and the return of Hikari and LadyDevimon, he was twice and thrice over determined to ruin Vamdemon's plans. 

All right. Enough planning. It might be easier with his staff, but without it wasn't impossible. Wizarmon closed his eyes and fought the pain back just that little bit more, just enough so he could completely focus on what he was doing now. 

He breathed a little harder. He stared intently at the wall opposite him, working his fingers as best that he could to aim correctly. At least Vamdemon's torment hadn't done any _severe_ damage, yet. If he stuck around, that would change, without a doubt. Yet another point in favor of not sticking around. 

“Thunder Ball!” It wasn't nearly as impressive as it could've been if he'd been at the peak of his strength. But, with crackling energy lashing out from every inch of it, it did the job, smashing into the opposing wall, and then bouncing back to strike his chains. Part of the wall he was held against shuddered and broke off, small pieces of stone crumbling on his shoulders and head. He yanked as hard as he could a few times, focusing what energy he had left on increasing his attack's effect. Just a little more, that was all he needed, just a little _more_! 

“What's all the racket?” With a rattle of chains and slide of bolts, the door slid open to reveal FlaWizarmon. Wizarmon almost would've preferred seeing Vamdemon. At least the vampire wasn't a near mockery of himself. The fire sorcerer needed only a few moments to realize what was going on, and gripped his staff hard. “I didn't go to all the trouble of capturing you to see you get away.” 

“I don't think you realize how little I care about what you caught me for,” Wizarmon hissed, yanking his bonds that one little bit more than allowed him to fall free of the wall. He stumbled, trembling, and then slowly pushed himself to his feet, weaving as he did his best to focus once more. He needed rest and food and he would likely not get either, not any time soon. 

FlaWizarmon began to raise his staff. Wizarmon did not dare let him get a spell off; he needed to save what little energy he had left in order to get past all the other guards and wards. So he did something that few magic users, Digimon or otherwise, ever bothered to do. 

He picked up a piece of rubble and threw it at FlaWizarmon. 

It wasn't much; he doubted it would have even bruised the other. But it did the job. FlaWizarmon lowered his staff and stared at him in complete disbelief. Wizarmon took the chance to charge at him, not worrying about fighting. Fighting could come another day, when he was actually ready for it. For now, he pushed his way past his counterpart and into the hallway beyond. 

He cursed for a few momennts the fact that he'd never visited any other dungeon aside from where Hikari had been kept. He needed to get out of here quickly and not lose time on the confusing corridors. 

Well, he'd tried this once before, and it hadn't ended well for him then. But the direct route outside would have to do. 

His second Thunder Ball wasn't as strong as the first had been, but it blew enough of the wall apart so he could leap outside. He dropped a few feet, already hearing the furious cries of the guards and FlaWizarmon behind him. He had to hurry. He wasn't going to get caught a second time. Vamdemon wouldn't waste time torturing him; by now even he had to realize that Wizarmon didn't know where the other two were. It would be a quick reformatting and that was it. 

And while that was one way to get away from Vamdemon, it wasn't a way that Wizarmon wanted. No one knew if Digimon who died on Earth could even be reformatted at all. Without contact with the Village of Beginnings, there was no way to know. Wizarmon refused to volunteer to find out the hard way. 

“After him!” He really wanted to know why FlaWizarmon and DeviDramon hung out together. He hadn't associated with either of them enough to know, but they seemed to be together now more than they weren't. Yet another mystery that would take time to solve, and he didn't have the time to spare to look into it. 

At the moment, he simply focused his flagging energy and flew with what speed he could manage out to the city. 

* * *

FlaWizarmon cursed vividly, filling the air with language that by all rights should've set the stones themselves aflame. He gathered himself up, preparing to go after his counterpart, when Vamdemon-sama spoke. 

“Follow him. Don't let him know that you're doing so.” 

The flame sorcerer turned toward his liege, bending his head in a quick bow. “Of course, my lord. May I ask why?” 

He wanted to destroy Wizarmon. He'd wanted that for years, for longer than he could remember. Everything about Wizarmon infuriated him, made him want to burn things, more so than he usually did. He already had plans to take over Wizarmon's personal chambers and reduce everything there to a small pile of ash, before doing the same thing to Wizarmon himself. 

“He might not know where the Child of Light and LadyDevimon are, but he will seek them out. They escaped for a reason, and I want to know what that reason is. Find them, watch them, and let me know. Do _not_ let any of them know that you're there. Keep yourself undercover by any method you must.” 

FlaWizarmon bowed again. He didn't always understand Vamdemon's orders, but he always obeyed them. Unlike a certain other wizard he could've named. The thought of such treachery burned him alive. It made all of the magical Digimon look bad, to have one of their number turn against Vamdemon-sama. Once an oath was given, it was _sacred_ , and Wizarmon should've died before breaking it. 

_He'll just have to die after breaking it, then,_ FlaWizarmon decided. He glanced to DeviDramon. 

“Would you like to come along?” 

“Sure!” The two of them had known each other only for a few short years, encountering one another not long after the invasion of Earth had been settled. Then, DeviDramon had still been PicoDevimon, small and round and given to all manner of treachery. 

That last part he still was, though FlaWizarmon had impressed upon him that betraying _him_ would lead to a fiery demise that he would follow up by finding the resulting egg and boiling it for dinner. 

Vamdemon gave no orders to the contrary, so together the two of them leaped into the dark skies and traced Wizarmon's trail. There wasn't much of one, and the few precious moments lost to listening to Vamdemon's orders had given him something of a head start. 

_We'll find him._ FlaWizarmon was not one to fail a task once he chose to take it in hand. It might take him more time than he'd thought to accomplish it, but he did not fail. Ever. 

* * *

Vamdemon watched as his servants vanished into the thickening night skies. Thunder rolled in the distance, with flickers of lightning arcing through the clouds. It would be a bad night to be out without shelter. 

That, however, would work in his favor. Wizarmon would seek out LadyDevimon and the Child of Light that much quicker, and FlaWizarmon and DeviDramon would find them then. 

Something somewhere had gone wrong. He didn't know what it was, but it worried him. Something had _changed_. And the only change Vamdemon approved of was change he sponsored for himself. 

He opened one hand to reveal the Crest of Light and frowned down at it. It hadn't glowed in all the years that he'd kept it, and the thought that it might happen at last, that she could... 

No. Without her partner, that wasn't possible, and for all of his searching, he'd never found the Eighth Digimon. He'd eventually given it up as a lost cause. 

The Chosen were no longer a threat to him. And to remind himself of that, he went in search of the pack. 

**To Be Continued**


	35. The Anger

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 35: The Anger  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,692||story: 92,956  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** Mimi x Sora/Sora x Mimi still exists, though they don't show up in this chapter. Mentions of vampirism throughout the story, as well as violence and death.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

“Partner?” Takeru eyed the small green Digimon that now placed itself in between himself, Yamato, and the strange human. “And who are you?” In all of his years in the Digital World, he'd never seen this Digimon, or one like it, before. It had to be young, likely a hatchling. If it had an attack at all, it was something harmless, like bubbles. He could've swatted it to the side and not even raised a bruise on himself. 

And yet for all of that, it stared them down as fiercely as if it could take on Piemon himself. 

“I'm Pipimon! And Yukio is my partner, and I won't let you hurt him!” The stem-like tip of his head quivered in anger as he glared, and truly, if that glare could've caused death, both of them would've been gone. 

Yamato tilted his head, eyeing the small creature thoughtfully, before he reached over to tap Takeru on the shoulder. His lips formed a single silent word, and Takeru nodded, casting a quick glance over to Patamon. The small orange Digimon moved forward, looking as unthreatening as he could. 

“We aren't planning on hurting him. We just want to know the truth about who he is and what he's doing here. We didn't know anything about any humans arriving here.” 

“I didn't tell anyone I was coming,” the human said, his eyes more focused on the small green Digimon than on anyone else. “No one was even supposed to know that I was here. And I _told_ you why I was here.” 

Takeru snorted. “Piemon always knows when someone enters his realm. You should've known better.” 

“Perhaps. But I came to find those boys, like I told you already.” He swallowed some, fingers of one hand reaching forward toward the Digimon. “Are you...are you really my partner?” That seemed to interest him more than anything else. 

“Of course I am!” Pipimon giggled, bouncing closer to him. “Don't you remember me, Yukio? I know it's been a long, long time. I didn't think I'd ever see you again.” 

Oikawa furrowed his brow, eyes distant and slightly confused. “I don't...it really has been a long time. I almost thought that I dreamed you up.” 

“Well, you didn't.” Pipimon moved a bit closer still, though he didn't take his eyes off Yamato, Takeru, or their own partners. No matter how young he was, he had the instincts of a true Digimon partner. “I've been waiting all this time.” 

Old memories flickered through Takeru's own mind, of a time when he'd stared at his own partner with that kind of wonder. To think that someone had waited that long for him, had waited just _for_ him... 

He didn't dare let himself think too much on that. He couldn't get lost in memories, not when they still had this situation to sort out. 

“What did you really come here for?” Takeru wanted that settled as quickly as possible. He didn't want to believe that somehow or other their parents were still looking for them. He'd given up on the fantasy of returning to Earth to live an ordinary human's life years ago. It wasn't going to happen. It couldn't happen; neither of them were ordinary humans anymore. 

“I told you!” Oikawa glowered at them with far more fire than he'd shown until now. “Ishida Hiroaki and Takaishi Natsuko wanted me to find their sons: to find _you_.” 

Yamato only shook his head, gaze flickering to the side where Garurumon waited. He tilted his head, another silent word on his lips, and his partner rose and hurried away with all due speed. 

“Where is he going?” Oikawa eyed the departing wolf with trepidation. Takeru approved of that; it showed some kind of sense to be wary of what one's enemies did. 

“That's not your concern.” He brushed it off for now, though. He had other questions to ask the human. “Do you know anything about Gennai?” 

Oikawa, whose gaze had returned to Pipimon almost as soon as Garurumon was out of sight, glanced back toward Takeru. “Who?” 

“Gennai!” Takeru didn't want to believe the newcomer could be that useless. Someone sent from Earth, supposedly by their old parents, who knew nothing about Gennai and could give them _nothing_? Why couldn't this have been someone they could actually _work with_? He didn't know who, but surely there could be someone who'd be able to lend them in a hand. 

Yamato rested his free hand on Takeru's shoulder and the younger blond drew in a breath. He wanted more than anything to take some kind of major steps towards accomplishing their goals. A human arriving from Earth _seemed_ like it would be useful toward that. And to find out that it wasn't didn't sit well with him. 

“Well, if they sent you to find us, you've found us. And we are not going to Earth. This is our home now,” Takeru said. He forced himself to focus on what he could do for now. There would be time enough later for organizing coups and overthrowing rulers. 

“They want to be sure that you're all right,” Oikawa said. He extended a hand toward Pipimon, who jumped onto it gleefully. The moment the two of them touched, a small sphere of light burst into existence above them, slowly lowering downward until it reached Oikawa's free hand. 

What formed there was as familiar to Takeru and Yamato as their own heartbeats. A Digivice, identical to theirs in every respect, rested there now. 

“He really is a Chosen...person?” Takeru murmured under his breath. 'Child' really wasn't a word that could be used in this case. Everything he'd known said that only children were Chosen. But children grew up, as he'd learned personally. Perhaps Oikawa _had_ been Chosen as a child. He didn't know. 

Perhaps Gennai would. Yet another reason to find the old bastard and squeeze every last drop of information out of him before finding out what happened to humans, or a reasonable imitation thereof, in the Digital World. Takeru had a _lot_ of those. 

“Well, well, what do we have here?” Piemon lowered himself down from above, arms crossed over his chest, staring at the man in front of them. Garurumon moved in closer to Yamato, who reached out to run one callused hand over his partner's head in gratitude. 

“He calls himself Oikawa Yukio,” Takeru reported at once, drawing himself up into a bit more formal of a stance. “And it looks as if he's a Chosen as well.” 

“So I see.” Piemon drummed his fingers on the side of his arm, staring at the Digivice and the one holding it. “And sent by your human parents.” It wasn't a question; Garurumon had told him everything they'd learned from Oikawa before he'd gone to inform Piemon of the other's arrival. 

Neither Takeru nor Yamato hurried to reassure Piemon of their loyalty to him. If the past few years didn't prove it to his satisfaction, then no hurried words would do it now. Instead, they waited to see what his decision on this matter would be. 

“Well, human?” Piemon turned his scarlet gaze onto the other, who still sat with most of his attention on his partner. “You've passed on the message you came to bring, and found a partner. What do you intend to do now?” 

Oikawa tilted his head, brow furrowing. “I hadn't thought about it.” From the way he said it and how he'd acted earlier, he hadn't thought about anything at all beyond being in the Digital World. 

He reached into his jacket, not noticing how all three of the armed warriors tensed, then pulled out a picture. “I dreamed about coming here for years. My best friend and I learned about the Digital world when we were just children. That's when I first saw Pipimon.” He cast a quick smile toward his small partner, who cuddled against him even more. “I wanted to come here to meet you, but I also wanted to come for him. He...he died several years ago. Before...” He waved one hand at the world around them, as if that would explain everything. Perhaps it did, to him. 

“How did you get here?” Takeru wanted to know. That bothered him more than he cared to admit. There was only supposed to be one gate between the worlds, and Vamdemon hadn't given them a hint of warning that anyone had come through. If he didn't know, then what else could be going on back there? 

Oikawa visibly pulled himself back from wherever his thoughts had wandered off to. “The gate on Earth. It took us a long time to be able to get me through it without anyone knowing.” 

Piemon's fingers drummed a fraction harder. “Really.” If Takeru had heard that tone directed at him, he would've known right away that he was in all manner of trouble. Oikawa didn't seem to pick up on it. 

“If I don't get back in touch with them, they're probably going to try to send someone else.” His eyes sharpened as he started to stand up. “So I _should_ contact them.” 

“We can arrange that,” Piemon offered, a hint of dark amusement hovering over his lips. Takeru stifled a smirk; any inhabitant of the Digital World would've known better than to accept that. It was the _truth_ , in a manner of speaking, but like virtually anything Piemon said, there were shades of meaning that not everyone understood. 

Oikawa glanced toward him, a slight, perhaps wary tilt to his head, especially as Pipimon started to bounce in his hand, shaking his head. Or what Takeru presumed was his head, since the little thing was really _all_ head. 

“You can?” 

Perhaps he wasn't quite as dense as Takeru thought. He at least didn't immediately accept the offer without questioning it. 

“Of course I can.” Piemon raised his head in pride. “Communicating with Earth is easy for someone like me.” 

Takeru stopped himself from snickering. He had to smother at least one, and Oikawa gave him an odd look, but he did it. 

“You shouldn't trust him!” Pipimon burst out. “He's Piemon! He's evil!” 

Piemon turned a frowning look to the tiny Digimon. “And what, precisely, does that have to do with offering to send a message back that will rid of me of two annoying humans attempting to lure away my two favorite warriors?” He rested one hand each on Takeru and Yamato's shoulders. “They're not the children those humans knew anymore. They are _my_ sons more than they are anyone else's.” 

In all of Takeru's life, he'd never imagined a flush of warmth at being called Piemon's son. He almost wished that he wore a mask like Yamato's, something to conceal the fiery blush that rose up his cheeks. 

“Be that as it may, Piemon, you cannot be trusted,” a voice familiar to the three of them spoke up. From out of the brush stepped Leomon, sword already in hand, eyeing them as one might a wild beast ready to attack. Then he glanced at Oikawa. “If you would come with me, sir, then we can arrange a message to your world that will not risk the lives of your companions there.” 

Takeru rolled his eyes. Leomon always seemed to know when to turn up to be the most annoying he possibly could be. Piemon didn't appear bothered by his arrival, however. 

“I said nothing of risking their lives,” he said. He even managed to sound offended at the very thought. 

“You didn't have to,” Leomon said. He moved until he stood between Oikawa and Piemon, sword still at the ready. They all knew that Piemon could destroy him with little more than a flip of one hand, but Leomon stood there regardless. “Gennai and I know what you will do if you have the chance.” 

“You don't know as much as you think you do,” Takeru muttered, one hand closing on his own swordhilt. He hoped Gennai was around there somewhere, though he couldn't entirely bring himself to believe that he would be. Only a complete idiot would face Piemon with anything less than an Ultimate level on their side, and so far as he knew they had nothing of the sort. 

“Perhaps we don't,” another voice spoke up, and Kentauromon stepped out of the shadows. “But we know who not to trust, and the chief of that list is Piemon.” 

“More of you,” Piemon sneered. “I presume that Gennai thinks numbers can overwhelm _me_?” 

“Gennai believes that you've warped and twisted three of the Chosen Children into your slaves,” Kentauromon said. He didn't take his eyes away from Takeru and Yamato as he did. “And I believe him.” 

The brothers looked at one another, and the noise that Yamato made was his best approximation of a laugh. Takeru's rang deeper and fuller, but both carried the same opinion of the concept. Yamato shook his head, forcing out a word. 

“No.” The very idea was laughable. Warped? Twisted? What a joke. “He helped us.” His voice sounded as harsh as rocks scraping against one another, and Takeru shook his head. It wasn't a good idea for Yamato to strain himself like that. But the elder blond hadn't finished yet. “He's not good. But _neither are we_.” 

Leomon and Kentauromon backed up, keeping themselves in between Oikawa and the slowly menacing others. “What did he do to you, Yamato?” Kentauromon asked, keeping his weapon trained on them. “You shouldn't be like this.” 

For a few moments, all remained silent. Then Yamato slowly reached up and removed his mask. Takeru knew well what he looked like underneath, but he was not at all surprised to hear the gasp from Oikawa, Leomon, and Kentauromon. Old burn scars raced up and down both of Yamato's cheeks, with one sliding inside of his mouth, twisting the right corner up so it gave him a look as if he were smiling eternally. Another scraped close to his left eye, not enough to impair his vision, but it had been a very close shave there. A third creased his forehead, having left a streak where no hair at all grew. 

“He did that...” Leomon breathed, and Takeru and Yamato both shook their heads in denial. 

“What he did was save Yamato's life! Yamato could've died because of his injuries, and Piemon could've left him to die!” He would never, ever forget the day that he'd seen his big brother burned, battered, and broken, too shattered to even move, enfolded in Piemon's arms. “Where were you then? Where was _Gennai_ then?” 

For years Takeru had kept the rage of his words hidden. He'd never needed to express it because those who he spoke to knew it already, and shared it. But now he flared up, as hot and burning as the Flare Lizamon who'd burned his brother. 

“All Gennai ever did was tell us to go from here to there, hardly told us why, never told us anything that we really needed to know! And when Sora died?” His eyes flashed with long buried rage. “No, let me say it another way: when Vamdemon killed Sora and made her an unholy abomination, and then it happened to Mimi, Taichi, and Jou? _Where was Gennai then_?” 

Leomon and Kentauromon remained silent. Not that Takeru had expected them to have anything to say, nor would he have listened if they had. There were no answers that he would accept, and the only repayment he could ever want would be Gennai's death, followed swiftly by Vamdemon's. 

Piemon's hand on his shoulder tightened briefly and he breathed, trying to get himself under control. It wasn't often that he lashed out like this. 

“Whatever you think I've done to them pales to what Gennai _didn't_ do.” Piemon bared his teeth in something that wasn't a smile at all. “But that is for him to deal with. Not his _servants_. If you wish to take the human, then do so. We have other matters to deal with.” 

He waved one gloved hand elegantly in dismissal before turning to Yamato and Takeru. “Let's go home.” 

**To Be Continued**


	36. The Vision

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 36: The Vision  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,678||story: 95,634  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** Mentions of vampirism throughout the story, as well as violence and death.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

Finding his flock wasn't as easy as Vamdemon initially presumed it would be. In hindsight, he knew he shouldn't have been surprised about that. He'd ordered everyone to search for the escaped Wizarmon, and the flock obeyed his every command, sometimes before he even had a chance to voice them. 

Such a difference from the days when they fought against him and the other evil Digimon. But he certainly didn't miss those. Their enmity hadn't been long, in his case, but he'd seen enough from when they'd fought Devimon and Etemon. 

He still considered turning Taichi into his chief servant a fine reward for getting rid of the simian Digimon. There were occasional rumors that Etemon had been seen somewhere in the Digital World, but he trusted Piemon to get rid of the fool if he did somehow come back. Neither of them considered him worth keeping around. 

But in due course he did bring the pack together, though Taichi looked ready to leap out the window at a moment's notice and hunt until he brought Wizarmon, struggling and screaming, back to them. 

“DeviDramon and FlaWizarmon are tending to this,” Vamdemon assured them. “We have other matters to deal with.” 

“Such as, Vamdemon-sama?” Jou wanted to know, leaning forward a little. He was always so eager to help, to do something to make things right. Vamdemon knew he'd chosen his pack well. 

“Pinnochimon is around somewhere in the city. I _told_ him to come here but he seems to have lost his way.” Vamdemon didn't quite roll his eyes, but if he'd been a lesser Digimon, or a human, then he most certainly would have. 

Sora considered what he said carefully. “There are rumors going around about rebel humans. You don't think he'd help them, do you?” 

Vamdemon had considered that himself more than once as he realized that Pinnochimon hadn't arrived as ordered. “I wouldn't think so, but these days, one cannot be entirely certain.” Too much changed from the days when he knew any Digimon in this world was his loyal servant. It made him far more uneasy than he wished to admit, even to his faithful followers. 

“Do you want us to find him?” Taichi asked, perking up at the idea of a hunt, even if it wasn't for Wizarmon or dinner. Vamdemon did not hold back a fanged smile at that. Taichi, his dear little hunter, so eager to shed blood and rain down the fury of the undead upon those who crossed him. 

“Yes. Whatever else he's doing, he's disobeyed my orders. Be wary, though, my pack. He is an Ultimate Digimon and his powers are not to be discounted. He can control virtually anyone with his puppet strings, and his mallet might not be able to kill _us_ , but it could be damaging nevertheless.” Vamdemon had seen the puppet at work in the past, and while he didn't feel Pinnochimon's abilities outshone his own, the pack could be another matter. It would require skill, not just strength, to accomplish this task. 

Mimi toyed with the ends of her hair. “If we find him, we can send word back to you instead of confronting him directly. He won't even know that we were there.” 

“Good.” He'd chosen her well also. Whether she knew it or not, Mimi had the soul of a general. If the humans ever thought they could rise up against him again, he trusted her to arrange matters to finish them in the shortest amount of time possible. 

Or the longest, if he wanted to make certain they suffered for ever daring to lift a hand against their rightful master once more. 

A quiet knock came to the door of their meeting room. Vamdemon frowned; not many were allowed to interrupt when he and the pack plotted together. It had to be something important. 

“Yes?” 

Phantomon floated through the door and bowed briefly. “My lord, I've had a troubling vision that I felt you should know of right away.” 

Vamdemon tilted his head back, one eyebrow cocked upward. Phantomon's gifts were invaluable; he'd been the one who had noticed that one of the Chosen was near her death, and thus Vamdemon had been aware enough to capture Sora in the first place. One could say that he was responsible for the victory over the Chosen Children. “Speak.” 

“There will be an attack upon the portal within the next handful of hours.” He hesitated, gaze flickering briefly toward the pack before looking back at Vamdemon. “At least one of the people who make it through is the Child of Light.” 

Taichi was on his feet a moment later. “I won't let that happen, Vamdemon-sama!” Being the brat's brother had never set well with Taichi. He'd wanted so much to bleed her dry and to find out that she, of all people, could _not_ be a vampire's meal had annoyed him from the day they discovered it to this very moment. 

Vamdemon waved him back. “Who else will make this attack?” This could be the break that he was looking for, to put down this proto rebellion before it could be anything more than that. He'd listened to the report the pack had brought him concerning Daisuke and the other humans, and while he had other plans to deal with his runaway blood pet, this promised to be useful as well. 

“I did not recognize all of them, my lord, but there were several of them. Including Motomiya Daisuke.” He hesitated once more. “I could not be certain if he crossed the portal or not. The vision ended before I was able to see. But some of your guard Digimon perish in the attack. Of that much I am certain.” 

Which did explain why Phantomon had the vision in the first place. But he could see little here that he couldn't use. 

“Tell no one else of this,” he ordered. Phantomon nodded; those were standard orders anyway. Vamdemon usually only wanted someone to know their death was coming when he brought it to them personally. “Is there anything else that I should know?” 

Phantomon considered the question. “I also saw LadyDevimon and Wizarmon with the humans. Exactly what they were doing I do not know, but they were all there together.” 

“Traitors,” Taichi hissed, fingers clenching into a fist. Vamdemon anticipated seeing what he would do to them once they were all captured once again. Taichi enjoyed unleashing all of his rage on those who disobeyed his master. Such a good boy. 

“Is there anything else?” Vamdemon inquired. Phantomon shook his head this time and Vamdemon dismissed him, turning this new information over and over in his mind. 

“Are his visions that reliable?” Jou asked, a slight furrow between his eyes. “Have they ever been changed?” 

“No one that I know has ever tried,” Vamdemon said. He'd never wondered about it himself. Phantomon's visions always told him what he wanted to know, so he trusted them. There wasn't any reason not to. 

But he'd said an attack, and that the Child of Light was 'one' of those who made it through. His blood-pet's fate was unknown. That meant he could retrieve him. It wasn't set in stone that he didn't. Vamdemon liked that. 

“How will they know where it is?” Sora wondered. “It's not as if we advertise the location. Not even LadyDevimon knows that.” 

She spoke the truth. Only a certain set of his most powerful warriors knew where the portal between worlds lay hidden. He'd ensured that for ten years, not wanting anyone to have access to the Digital World without his awareness of it. 

“They either have spies or someone here has told it to them.” There weren't many who could accomplish either. He had few humans who worked in any position where they could find out the location without him knowing about it, and the amount of Digimon who knew where it was and were likely to speak of it to humans could be counted on his fingers. Most of those wouldn't have dared to even consider doing so, knowing his wrath. 

Except... 

Vamdemon's eyes narrowed. “Don't worry about finding Pinnochimon. This is more important.” Far more so, for many more reasons than he could currently begin to list. 

He snapped his fingers, summoning one of his Bakemon into the room. “We need to feed. Bring up five of the strongest humans in the pens. Have mine delivered to my quarters.” 

At once the pack stirred, the light of hunger gleaming in all four sets of eyes. “Master?” Taichi asked, hope glimmering alongside of it. “What are we going to do?” 

“They will be on _my_ territory, my pack,” Vamdemon purred out the words as the plan shaped itself in his mind. “They will intrude on _my_ land, and I will not have it. The only one you must spare is Motomiya Daisuke. He belongs to me, now and forever.” He'd issued this order before but with the rising hunger and the glory of feeding and the rage of battle that rose in all of their hearts, it was best to be certain they knew his wishes. “All the others can be slaughtered or kept as you wish.” 

Mimi laughed a silvery, wicked laugh. “I hope that girl with the purple hair is there. I _really want_ her.” She reached over to squeeze Sora's hand. “We can share her. She'll be fantastic, I'm sure of it.” 

Vamdemon left his pack to work out what they wanted to do and who they wanted to do it to while he made his own plans. He still had the collar, clean and neat and resized to fit around a larger neck. He would wait until he had Daisuke firmly in his grip once more before doing anything with the room his pet would be living in from now on. 

_And this time, no one is going to take him from me again._ He'd listened to the descriptions the pack had of those who'd been with Daisuke when they'd encountered him earlier. He recognized two of them as the ones who'd managed to spirit his pet away in the first place. The more he considered it, the more he decided that simply being torn to shreds or drained dry wasn't a severe enough punishment for them. He wasn't certain what would be right away. Though certain ideas did occur to him. 

Being made part of the pack offered a certain amount of pleasure in his opinion. Instead of taking what was his, they would belong to him, and protect his property as fiercely as he himself did. 

It would work as a punishment for Daisuke as well, to see the ones who'd 'set him free' now keeping him as chained up as Vamdemon himself did. 

The idea did have merit, and Vamdemon couldn't think of any reasons _not_ to do it. He hadn't considered any new pack members before, and if these two were as strong as they seemed to be, then they would make excellent servants. 

Yes. He would make those two, whatever their names were, part of his pack. He would have to make certain that no one (Taichi) killed them before he could do it, but that would be the work of one sentence. 

A slow smile touched his lips as another thought occurred to him. Another part of the punishment for Daisuke: to have to _watch_ as his two saviors became part of the pack. 

They would need to feed. Fresh vampires hungered for days after their rising. He would need to bring the healthiest ones from the pens, or … or perhaps... 

Yes. Those so-called rebels wouldn't be killed after all. They would be brought back alive, and those who didn't join the pack or whom his current pack members didn't want for themselves would be the sustenance for those who did. And Daisuke would watch it all, and know that it was all because of him, because those two took him away, because the others sheltered and aided him. 

Vamdemon strode forward with more certainty. Those who could be taken, would be. He already knew how to deal with the survivors, and those Digimon counted as traitors. 

It was _so_ encouraging to have allies that one could count on. Even in other worlds. 

* * *

Taichi could hardly wait for their dinner to be delivered. He wanted to feel his fangs sink into warm flesh and to taste that delicious liquid coursing down his throat. It would be a good warmup for the main event. 

_I wonder if I should try to keep one of them._ It might be interesting to try a blood pet out for a while. He still preferred the idea of hunting his meals whenever he could, but to have a steady supply had an appeal all of its own. And if he turned out not to like the notion, he could easily return to proper hunting. 

The door opened and four Bakemon entered, each holding tightly onto a human. Their ages and genders varied, but one thing remained the same: all four of them looked, and smelled, absolutely terrified. 

Taichi loved that scent. He prowled closer to them, circling the group. As the chief of the pack, second only to Vamdemon, he was allowed first choice when dinner morsels such as this were brought to them. Now he licked his lips, trying to decide which of these he wanted. 

“You're going to kill us, aren't you?” One of them spoke up, voice shaking regardless of attempts to keep it calm. 

“Oh, yes.” Taichi saw no reason to lie about this. He stared into this one's eyes, drinking in the terror that poured out. “And it's going to hurt.” He couldn't even begin to imagine how much it hurt. His own memories of dying had long ago faded away, replaced by the content satisfaction of serving his master. 

One of the other meals struggled in the thick chains that restrained them all. “Why are you doing this? Didn't you used to be human?” 

“Yes, we were,” Mimi said, strolling closer to that one with an expression that Taichi had only seen her use when choosing meals or clothes. “But not anymore.” 

It was always interesting to see how different meals reacted to the idea of _being_ meals in the first place. But no matter how much Taichi would've liked to discuss it, preferably with his fellow vampires, they didn't have time to linger. He reached out and seized the first one that had spoken, snapping the chains with ease. 

“Don't worry. It won't hurt forever.” Taichi considered his own words, then shrugged. “At least I don't think it does.” 

He pulled his chosen dinner close to him, ignoring the struggles and shrieks as he located the pulsing vein in the neck, then bit down as hard as he could. That familiar metallic taste filled his mouth and he groaned, enjoying himself as much as he could. 

He could hear the others also having their dinner, and they all sounded as if they enjoyed it as much as he did. 

Once they were all done and the Bakemon took the remains away, the pack split up to get cleaned up and prepare for the coming battle. Taichi anticipated seeing the sheer terror in so many sets of eyes all over again. Perhaps he could even find a way to put an end to the Child of Light as well. He'd advocated for Vamdemon-sama to get rid of her for years. No matter how much she tried she couldn't fight them, and she couldn't feed them, so there was really no other use for her to exist. And yet the master kept her anyway. 

He'd heard Phantomon's prediction, and the master's statement that no one had ever challenged them. 

If there was one thing that Taichi liked to do, aside from cause chaos, pain, and shattered dreams, it was the impossible. And he could think of nothing more impossible than turning aside the will of fate. 

**To Be Continued**


	37. The Surprise

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 37: The Surprise  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,533||story: 98,167  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** Mimi x Sora/Sora x Mimi still exists, though they don't show up in this chapter. Mentions of vampirism throughout the story, as well as violence and death.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

Pinnochimon could not figure out why he didn't take his hammer and squash all of these humans into a messy little film on the pavement. It wasn't as if anyone would miss them, and it definitely wouldn't dirty up the landscape. That was already trashed far beyond repair. But they were doing something that he'd wanted for a long time, and he couldn't let it stop just yet. 

They were paying attention to him. They were listening to him and taking him seriously and they needed something that he knew about. Something that only he could make sure they got, if he wanted to. If they could find the right price for him. He didn't know what that price was yet, but they'd have to meet it before he helped them any more. 

Well, he might let them fawn over him a little while longer. He might give them a discount for that. A small one. 

He squared himself and stared back at them. “Yeah, that's right. I bet you want it, don't you?” Of course they did. Why wouldn't someone want something that could maybe get rid of Vamdemon? _He_ wanted something that would do that! Only, that meant having to fight Piemon afterward, and he wasn't ready to do that. He knew very well that fighting Piemon meant a horrible, painful death. 

The humans didn't know that, though. Too bad for them. If they didn't ask, he wasn't going to bother telling them. 

“How can we get it?” The one who'd asked about it wanted to know. 

Pinnochimon shifted his mallet to the other should, taking a deep, rich pleasure in this. He hadn't such fun in _ages_ , not since Takeru started to grow up and get really, really boring. This was an entirely new kind of game, and he wanted to play it for as long as he could. 

“You'd have to go to the Digital World, of course. That's where it is.” And if they didn't know how to get there, then that wasn't his problem. He wouldn't tell them. 

Quick glances flew among the group and he wished he were one of those Digimon who could read minds. He didn't like not knowing what his playmates were thinking and here he had a whole new group of them to mess with. But only if he could outthink them. 

They were a bunch of humans. He didn't think they were all the way grown up at that. How hard could it be? 

“And if we got to the Digital World, what would we have to do then?” The same one asked. Pinnochimon wondered if he should ask their names. No, it probably didn't matter all that much. If he really wanted to, he'd give them names that he liked. If they wanted to keep playing, they'd answer to them, too. 

“You'd have to go find the redhead. He's the only one who knows where it is. But he's probably not going to tell you. He's mean like that.” 

One of the others – he thought it was a girl, but he wasn't good with human things like that – shifted, frowning. “Izumi Koushirou had red hair. I remember meeting him before that summer.” 

No fair! He'd said it out loud before he even realized it, glowering at them as if they'd committed a great offense. And they _had_ , by not playing the game the way that he wanted it to be played. 

“What are you talking about?” The one who'd mentioned knowing the redhead turned to him. “What's not fair?” 

“You shouldn't know him! I don't want you to know him!” Pinnochimon stomped one foot, then the other. “How can I have any fun if you're getting everything right before I can tell you? I bet you know how to get to the Digital World, too!” 

He didn't care what kind of an answer they gave, or if they gave one at all. “You're not any fun! I want to have some fun! Why won't anyone let me?” 

“No one said you couldn't,” said one of the others, one who looked a little like that first one. “We might know about how to get there, but we would need your help to really pull it off.” 

“Ken...” Another of them whispered something, but this one ignored him. 

Pinnochimon stared at this Ken. “What? What did you say?” 

“I said, we'd need your help. We couldn't do it without you.” He took a step closer. “We really need to go there, for a lot of reasons. I bet you could help us find the portal and get through it, couldn't you?” 

The Ultimate blinked a few times, his pique forgotten in the light of this interesting new development. “Of course I could.” He didn't think anyone else could. Vamdemon was so _picky_ about who could and couldn't go through it. He was probably still annoyed that Pinnochimon hadn't arrived at the castle. Not that he really intended to go there anyway. That place was even more boring than it was out here, and he hadn't thought that was possible! 

“If you give us a hand, I can make it worth your while.” Ken smiled, and for a brief moment, Pinnochimon could've sworn he saw echoes of Piemon there. That was ridiculous. No human could be anywhere near as manipulative or deceptive as Piemon! Or as he was himself! So whatever trickery this kid had in mind, Pinnochimon knew he could beat it. 

“What do you have in mind?” He needed to know that, so he could guess on how to warp it to his advantage. Knowledge was power. 

Ken tilted his head back, a thoughtful little gleam in his eyes. “You help us get there and find Izumi-san, and we'll all play with you. One day for each of us, once we don't have to worry about Vamdemon and what he's doing to our world.” 

Pinnochimon frowned, working through that. He would get a lot of playdays out of that. “And I can do whatever I want to you?” 

“Of course. Well, to an extent, anyway.” 

There was always a catch, wasn't there? Of course there was. “What do you mean?” 

“You can't just hit us over the head with your mallet. You can't just kill us right away or make us hurt anyone else,” Ken waved one finger carefully. “We're humans. We can't take the kind of play that you can.” 

That was true. Humans were pretty weak when it came to that. But the more he thought on the matter, the more he kind of liked it. He counted them over quickly. Six of them. Nearly a whole week of fun he could have. Maybe more than a week. Maybe they would have friends he could rope into this. 

“So, I can play with each of you for a day, once there's no more Vamdemon to worry about.” That meant something else: he'd have to stay by them to make certain they all made it through alive. Which meant he would be fighting against Vamdemon. 

Oh, well. It wasn't as if he liked Vamdemon anyway. 

“That's right.” Ken glanced at everyone else. Pinnochimon thought they didn't look all that happy about the deal, which made him want to do it even more. “And in return, you'll get us to the portal and help us through it.” 

Pinnochimon nodded eagerly, grinning from ear to ear. “You got yourself a deal, then. I can do all of that. When do you want to go?” 

More looks flew among them. He didn't think they'd really thought this out all that well. 

“The sooner the better,” the one who'd first spoken to him said. “This could be our best chance to get everything done, and I don't think we should waste it.” 

And so it was decided. Pinnochimon set off quickly toward the castle, his little line of new human playmates trailing along behind him. He could hardly wait to see Vamdemon's face when they all turned up. 

* * *

“Have you lost your mind?” Osamu hissed into his brother's ear as they followed Pinnochimon. “Seriously?” 

Ken shook his head, a quick, sharp motion. “This is the fastest way to get us to the portal and the Digital World. Do you have any better ideas?” 

“ _Wizarmon_ ,” Osamu bit the word off, staring at his brother as if the younger Ichijouji had forgotten everything they'd done in the last day. “He's not going to know anything about this. How am I supposed to get in touch with him? What are we even going to do when or _if_ we get over there?” 

“Find the other three Chosen, get this special thing that's supposed to help against Vamdemon, and use it to get rid of him once and for all,” Ken replied, voice and eyes as cool as ice. He glanced briefly toward Daisuke, then back to Osamu. “I'm not letting him go anywhere near Vamdemon. I'll keep him locked up somewhere if I have to. This is the best way we have to do it, and you _know it_.” 

Osamu shook his head. “No, I don't.” He wanted to find a way to get back to their base and contact Wizarmon before they embarked on this, but there really wasn't a way. If they let this chance slip, Pinnochimon might decide not to help them after all, and Ken was right about that much. He was the only help they had in finding the gate without anyone knowing that was what they were doing. 

But he _wanted_ to let Wizarmon know what was going on, and they really needed to communicate with the base again and let those who'd stayed behind in on what happened. Too much had happened far too quickly, and none of them had had a proper chance to process it all. He didn't think Ken would be this protective, no matter how threatened Daisuke was. 

He cast a quick glance to where his brother now strode along beside Daisuke and shook his head a trifle. Maybe he would be. Ken hadn't said anything about the feelings he clearly had, but he didn't really need to. Osamu was his older brother. Even in times like this, it was part of his job to know when Ken had a crush on someone and to tease him about it when the time was right. 

Unfortunately, now wasn't the teasing him, and all he could do was try to find a way to get through all of this without anyone losing sanity or body parts. He couldn't be certain he could do it, either. 

“Look out!” Iori cried out suddenly, and everyone dodged without pausing to find out why. Osamu took cover under the nearest piece of rubble that didn't look as if it were about to fall over and tried to see what was going on. 

Something hit the ground not that far away from them, and hit it hard. At first Osamu thought it was nothing more than a pile of clothes, carelessly tossed from somewhere. Though who would throw away clothes that were still good, if in need of some mending, escaped him. 

Then he got a very good look at what actually lay there, and scrambled out and over to them, heart in his mouth. 

“Wizarmon!” How the Digimon had arrived here and what had happened to him, Osamu didn't know. He did know that the other was clearly hurt, burn marks and injuries that Osamu didn't recognize all over him. “Wizarmon, what happened to you?” 

The only answer was a faint, completely wordless groan. Wizarmon didn't even open his eyes. His fingers clutched a little at Osamu's arm, but that was all. Osamu couldn't even be sure if the Digimon realized he was there in the first place. 

“Oh, _there_ you are,” a strange voice spoke, and Osamu looked up. Of all the possible beings, he didn't expect to see what looked like Wizarmon, but as if he were partially on fire. This one also seemed a little taller than the one he held in his arms, and his staff resembled a matchstick more than anything else. “Do back away, human. This is Digimon business, not yours.” 

Osamu didn't budge. “You're not going to hurt him while I'm around.” He had no idea of what he could do to stop this, but he would do whatever he had to. Whatever he could. Perhaps if he got out his knife? But did he dare to take one move away from Wizarmon? 

Another Digimon, all black armor, skulls, and claws, landed roughly next to the fiery sorcerer Digimon. “Hey, FlaWizarmon! Did you... oh, you did find him!” This one cackled, flexing sharp talons and glaring at Wizarmon. “Oh, look, we can shred some humans, too!” 

Osamu shook his head. “Not going to happen.” He hoped Pinnochimon would realize that their bargain rested on him making certain they all lived until after the end of Vamdemon, which meant these Digimon couldn't take them out no matter how much they wanted to. He couldn't see the puppet from where he knelt, however. 

Wizarmon's hand began to tighten around his own, and Osamu looked down automatically. Green eyes, clouded with pain but beginning to clear and focus, looked back at him. “You should...get out of here...” 

Osamu no more moved for him than he had for either of these two attacking Digimon. “Not going anywhere without you.” 

He thought Wizarmon smiled. There was some sort of movement behind his mask, anyway. “Thank you...Osamu.” He closed his eyes and for a few seconds, Osamu's heart nearly stopped as he feared the worst. Something was going on. Something was happening, and he didn't know what it was, and he couldn't think of anything _good_ that would happen and he wanted to stay with Wizarmon, to find out what it meant to have a partner who was as meant for you as you were for him, to have a friend as close as one's own soul... 

“Well, this is very disgusting and emotional and I think I'm going to be sick. I've really had enough of it, and I'm going to have to tell Vamdemon-sama that you heroically died fighting us and there wasn't anything that I could do about it. I would be sorry, if I actually cared about you,” FlaWizarmon declared, raising his staff. “So, good-bye. To both of you. “ _Fire Cloud!_ ” 

Osamu closed his eyes and bent over Wizarmon. At least they would go together. He could only hope that Ken would find a way to lead the rest of them to victory. He wanted to be able to see it for himself. He wanted them to win. Somehow. 

Something shimmered. It could only be FlaWizarmon's attack blazing toward them. Osamu looked up, deciding in a heartbeat to face death head on, and reached up one arm in an automatic defense. 

_Funny. I thought being burned alive would hurt more._ He could feel Wizarmon moving next to him and there was something strange about all of it, and then he heard words he'd never thought he would, and he didn't understand them anyway. 

“Wizarmon evolve to... _Mistymon_!” 

**To Be Continued**


	38. The Battle

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 38: The Battle  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,612||story: 100,779  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** Mimi x Sora/Sora x Mimi still exists, though they don't show up in this chapter. Mentions of vampirism throughout the story, as well as violence and death.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

Staying in the darkness and shadows was easy, as this world had little else to it anymore. There was plenty of convenient rubble to hide in, and the farther they traveled, the fewer Digimon they saw. LadyDevimon suspected by now that Vamdemon must have called in the searchers. What that could mean couldn't be anything good, but at least it gave them more chances to find a safe place to hide. One that no minions of Vamdemon, no matter how cruel they might or might not be, wouldn't be able to find. 

Wizarmon's location still baffled and worried her. Something must have gone wrong somewhere. He'd simply been gone too long. Time was a strange and funny thing in this world as well. It had to have been hours since he returned to the castle and yet she'd seen no further signs of him. 

She would fret more about that later. For now, she had to find a place where she and Hikari could hide and wait for him to turn up. Or some further evidence of where he was. She would go in search of him herself if she could find a place for Hikari to remain in safety. 

Right now that didn't seem like a possibility, though. For all that she could find places where they could duck out of sight or wait to see if anyone passed nearby, there weren't any places that offered the true shelter she wanted. No food, no water, no way for Hikari to hide if and when Vamdemon's minions passed. 

The humans who lived in this area had to have somewhere they lived. But she didn't see any of them, either. They likely saw her, recognized her as a Virus Digimon, and hid out of sight. Digimon of any kind weren't to be trusted here. 

She crouched behind what might've been an impressive building once and looked over the area. No sign of anything or anyone, nor had there been for several minutes. That meant the path was clear, at least for this area. 

She gestured to Hikari and the girl hurried over to her, stumbling a little on some of the stray rocks. Hikari could walk, obviously, but managing on pavement such as this, broken and rocky, was something she still had to get used to, after ten years spent in a room with nothing of the sort. 

Hikari opened her mouth, perhaps to ask where they were going, a question LadyDevimon did not have an answer to. Her words broke off, however, when a sudden light rose from several streets away, burning clean and bright and unexpected. 

LadyDevimon tensed, wrapping her arms firmly around her charge as both of them stared that way. It wasn't the way they'd been going, so she hadn't paid much attention to the few noises she'd heard from that way. Her entire goal had been to find a place without humans or Digimon if at all possible. 

But that light... 

_I've seen it before._ It hadn't been often, but it had happened, and it called up dust-covered memories. 

“Do you want to see what that is?” Hikari asked, voice soft and curious. LadyDevimon could only nod. It called to her. Perhaps, she thought, Wizarmon was involved. It could be one of his attacks. And if he were in battle, then she would gladly give him help. 

Taking Hikari up more firmly, she took off, zipping across the broken city, darting here and there for the sake of cover. The light faded away before they got anywhere near it, but now she could clearly hear the sounds of battle raging. 

“Fire Cloud!” That wasn't one of Wizarmon's attacks, she knew, and she peered around a chunk of rubble, hoping to see who the combatants were. 

At first she couldn't tell what was going on through the clouds of smoke and blazing fireballs being thrown everywhere. Only when a convenient gust of wind parted the haze could she get a look. 

She hadn't been out often enough to meet some of Vamdemon's servants, but she recognized FlaWizarmon by his resemblance to Wizarmon. She'd wondered on occasion if they were related to one another. Her friend had never mentioned it if they were, and if they were, FlaWizarmon was clearly what Wizarmon would consider the 'black sheep' of the family. 

Or Wizarmon was the white sheep. Regardless, the two of them could not have been more different from one another. 

But she didn't recognize who he fought against at all. Whoever it was, he was tall, wearing armored robes of rich white and dark red, and a violet cloak. As FlaWizarmon shot ball after ball of mystic fire-laced energy at him, this stranger parried each of them with a fire-wrapped sword of his own. 

“Just because you evolved doesn't make you stronger than I am!” FlaWizarmon shouted. “You're still going to go down!” 

“Evolving _does_ make me stronger than you! That's what evolution is!” The other replied. His voice held a hauntingly familiar echo to it, one that itched at LadyDevimon's mind. She found herself wanting him to win just to ask him about it. She'd never been so fond of FlaWizarmon that she would miss him if he perished. 

“How could you bond yourself to a human? They're weak! We couldn't have conquered them if they were worth anything!” FlaWizarmon shrieked, blasting more attacks, which continued to fail to do anything. 

Bonded to a human? Evolution? LadyDevimon's eyes scanned the battlefield until she spied them: a small group of humans not too far from her, keeping their heads down while watching the battle. One of them in particular looked fascinated by it, his eyes never once leaving the strange Digimon. 

“Ken?” Hikari's voice was a soft whisper that grew louder as she straightened up more. “Is that you, Ken?” 

One of the others, not the one who watched so intently, turned toward her, eyes widening in surprise. “What are _you_ doing out here?” 

It was indeed the one they'd met that day. LadyDevimon's arms tightened around Hikari protectively. 

“We're looking for a way into the Digital World,” the Digimon replied. She doubted that the humans could do anything to help with that, but given the situation, asking would do no harm. “Do you know where the gate is?” 

“They don't.” An unexpected voice cropped up and she whirled to see Pinnochimon seated on a rock. “But I do. And I'm taking them there. Once those two get finished, anyway.” He waved a hand at the two warriors sparring viciously back and forth. 

She glanced back at them, then at Pinnochimon. It had been some time since she'd seen him and she didn't know if he remembered that she'd evolved or not. “Who are they? I recognize FlaWizarmon, but not the other one.” 

“He was Wizarmon.” The human who stared at the battle as if it were some kind of dream spoke up. He didn't turn away from it. Looking closer, she could see something in his hand, held as tightly as if his life depended on it. “I think he said his new name was Mistymon.” 

LadyDevimon's eyes widened herself and she took a better look at them. _That_ was what she'd found so familiar about his voice! Wizarmon had evolved! 

Mistymon brought his sword down hard on FlaWizarmon, slicing through him as if he were made of nothing more than mist and shadows. The fireborn mage cried out wordlessly, dropping down to one knee. 

“How... you were never...stronger than me...” 

Mistymon stared down at him, tired and triumphant. “You're wrong.” 

FlaWizarmon tried to shake his head once more time, but there was no strength at all left in him. He collapsed, vanishing into a stream of data that faded away. 

No sooner had it vanished than Mistymon stumbled, a pale glow surrounding him for a few moments. Moments later, Wizarmon knelt where Mistymon had, trying hard to catch his breath. He lifted his head, eyes going first to the human, then over to where LadyDevimon and Hikari stood. 

“You're all right,” he murmured, trying to stand. The human hurried over to him, wrapping one arm around him. “Osamu-” 

“You need to get some rest,” the human lectured, his voice as fond and supportive as LadyDevimon could remember anyone being for her old friend. “You were incredible, anyway!” 

LadyDevimon stepped out, still keeping one arm around Hikari in a protective grip. “Wizarmon, what happened? Why were you and FlaWizarmon fighting?” 

“I went back to the castle to find something I thought might help us,” Wizarmon said, drawing in breath after breath of air. “But Vamdemon found me and FlaWizarmon was able to detain me. I managed to escape, but he followed me.” 

LadyDevimon suspected that there was far more to the story than she was being told, but now wasn't the time for in depth details. Perhaps in the Digital World, where they could relax a little more. 

“So, are you ready to head on to the Digital World now?” Pinnochimon said, jumping down from where he'd been sitting. “Or do you need a few more moments for a sweet reunion?” He tossed his mallet from one hand to the other. “I don't have all day to laze around, you know.” 

Wizarmon spoke before any of the humans could – one of them, a redhead that LadyDevimon found vaguely familiar looked ready to say something that likely wouldn't have been pleasant. “If we're all going to the Digital World, then it's best that we go together.” He eyed the humans, Osamu most of all, cautiously. “Why are you all going there?” 

“Long story but mostly we're trying to find a way to defeat Vamdemon once and for all, and this guy says that he knows something that can do that, and it's there,” the one LadyDevimon had noticed before said. “Also, while we're there, we might see if we can find a couple of people that some people we know are looking for.” 

LadyDevimon wasn't certain of what to think of all of that, but as they had the same short term goal, she also didn't care that much. 

Hikari's eyes lit up at all of that. She'd clearly come to the same conclusion. “So, we're all going together!” 

The redhead who'd spoken took a better look at her and blinked. “... Yagami Hikari?” He sounded as if he wasn't entirely certain of her name. “Is that you?” 

She turned toward him, head tilted to the side. “That's my name. Do you know me?” 

“Motomiya Daisuke.” He took a step closer to her. “We went to school together a long time ago. Before all of this.” He waved a hand at the destruction all around them. “I thought... well, I kinda thought you were dead, with all of this. With your br-” He cut the word off, flushing a brilliant red. 

Oh. That made sense. LadyDevimon rested her hand on Hikari's shoulder. “We can have reunions another time. The sooner we're in the Digital World, the better.” 

* * *

With the two groups now fused into one, they followed Pinnochimon once more through the ruins. Wizarmon's evolution had drained much of what little strength he'd had left, but he was recovering quickly. Digimon didn't take forever to heal up, as humans could. LadyDevimon knew he'd recover even faster with time to rest and some good food. 

Getting both of those would be the trick. Still, the Digital World remained their best hope. They would still have to work their way away from Piemon once they got there, but one step at a time. 

In due course, they all crouched behind a broken portion of the wall surrounding the castle, a small security breach that LadyDevimon knew Vamdemon either didn't know about or felt it wouldn't make a difference in his defenses. She thought it was the latter. There was very little that escaped his attention. 

Pinnochimon pointed his mallet. “There. The gate is on the other side.” Where he pointed looked like nothing more than an ordinary door: if ordinary doors were guarded very heavily. Pinnochimon glared at that. “There weren't that many last time I was here.” 

“Think he knows we're around?” Daisuke wondered, peeking over the wall. The faintest of quavers lurked in his tones, and Ken stayed close by him at all times. LadyDevimon remembered him now, the one that Vamdemon wanted so very much. 

“I would not be surprised. He has many spies and many ways to guess what his enemies will do,” she said, taking her own look. Four guards stood in formation, two Adults and two Perfects. They would be more than a little difficult to get through. She flexed her claws, wondering what she would be like in a true fight these days. 

_I think I will find out very soon._

Something moved in the corner of her eye and she jerked her head up, ready to call an alert. It was too late; the vampire pack had flown in high and fast to avoid being seen, and now Daisuke struggled in Taichi and Jou's iron grip. 

“A little treat that Vamdemon-sama's waited far too long for!” Taichi crowed, tearing something away from Daisuke and dropping it below. His gaze fell on Hikari, his lip curling at once. “And you. You're going right back to a nice little cell that you won't be getting out of any time soon. If ever.” 

LadyDevimon didn't waste time thinking. She swept out one hand, focusing her energies. “Darkness Wave!” From the sweep of her arm came a stream of creatures that loosely resembled bats, aching to claw into her enemies and shred them to pieces. 

Jou and Taichi broke apart, Jou keeping hold of Daisuke, whose struggles didn't stop for so much as a breath, nor did the stream of insults coming out of his mouth. Jou shook him a little. 

“Calm down. We're not going to hurt you.” 

Daisuke twisted his head up to glare at his captor. “Taking me to Vamdemon _is_ hurting me!” 

“Really, Daisuke?” No sooner were those two words spoken than everyone there froze in their tracks. Vamdemon lowered himself from above, his familiar twisted smirk on his lips. “When have I hurt you?” 

Daisuke swallowed, fire flashing in his eyes despite his terror. “You want a list?” 

“Maybe another time.” Vamdemon gestured briefly to Jou, who swept away with Daisuke still in his grip. Then the undead king turned his attention back to the others gathered still. “Now, what to do with all of you? A pack of humans and traitors.” His fangs glinted for a moment. “Some of you are going to be delicious. And you-” His gaze fastened firmly on Ken. “You are going to make a very good addition to the pack.” 

LadyDevimon hadn't ever dreamed that someone could go as pale as Ken did. She bent down to whisper into Hikari's ear. “Stay out of sight. And get to the gate as soon as you can. If I can't make it with you, stay with them.” 

Hikari's lip whitened as she bit it but she nodded. LadyDevimon leaped up into the air. She gave no challenge, but simply shot another attack, this time toward Vamdemon. 

He dodged it, moving as light as a feather. “You dare to attack me?” His eyes sparked dark fury as he raised his arms. “Me, who gave you _everything_?” 

“You took everything from me! You made me into your slave! You made me keep a child prisoner until she couldn't even remember her own name!” LadyDevimon cried out. “ _I hate you!_ ” 

And then Bloody Stream slashed into her, and the fight was on. 

**To Be Continued**


	39. The digivice

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 39: The Digivice  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,617||story: 103,396   
**Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** Mentions of vampirism throughout the story, as well as violence and death. Also, Mimi x Sora/Sora x Mimi, subtle Ken x Daisuke/Daisuke x Ken, and sorta vague one-sided Vamdemon x Daisuke.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

Wizarmon wanted to evolve again. Not just to protect Osamu, though that was a huge part of his desire, but because he'd never experienced power like that before. Being Mistymon called to everything that made him a Digimon; the level of his magic couldn't be measured, and he could fight physically as well, movements and skills coming to him from the core of his being. 

But no matter how he strained, the power only flickered and wavered, and his stomach cried out for food far more than anything else. 

_Digimon need to eat to evolve,_ he realized. That made sense; evolution was a hard process, and it used up a great deal of energy. He probably wouldn't need as much as he could if he were fresh out of the egg, but he needed something. 

And he needed it soon, because this fight wasn't going at all well for those who wanted to get to the portal. Jou still hung out of reach, Daisuke held in his grip, while Vamdemon and LadyDevimon lashed out at one another. The rest of the flock darted here and there, tossing pieces of broken masonry at the humans, who had to rush to get out of the way. It was clear they considered this not a battle at all, but an amusement until their master decreed otherwise. 

Osamu stayed near him, something held tightly in one hand. Wizarmon recognized it belatedly as a Digivice. He'd seen them before, but not in quite a long time. 

_They're supposed to have many powers. They can destroy evil._ Stories of what had happened to those under Devimon's power when the Chosen had first arrived in the Digital World rang through his mind. Could...could they... 

He glanced at LadyDevimon, then down to where Hikari crouched behind debris, her eyes on the battle in the skies. If she had hers...but he didn't know where that was. He'd only heard of where Vamdemon kept her Crest, and he still didn't have that. 

Perhaps that could've made more of a difference. The faith he'd always had in Tailmon hadn't wavered over the years, but he didn't know if such a huge change were even possible anymore. 

He set his jaw. They had to do something. And if Hikari couldn't help yet, then he would have to work with the only Chosen Child that he actually knew, who had a partner and a Digivice. 

His own. 

Wizarmon rested a hand on Osamu's shoulder. “We have to do something!” 

“I know!” Osamu glanced at him, then back to where Ken scampered through the trashed streets, half-way attempting to get to Daisuke, half-way trying to throw anything he could manage at Taichi as the vampire hovered, taunting him. “But what?” 

Wizarmon gestured toward the Digivice. “I think that can help us. The legends in the Digital World talk about how they can destroy evil.” 

Osamu's eyes tracked at once to Vamdemon, and Wizarmon could see the hope glimmering there. “Could we...” 

“Not him. He's too strong for just one.” Power multiplied with more, and it would take far more than one Digivice to put a halt to Vamdemon's evil. “But perhaps one of the pack.” 

Osamu's eyes narrowed as he turned back to where Taichi taunted his brother. “I've got just the one in mind.” 

Wizarmon wasn't going to object. He stood up, brushing off more dust. “I can't evolve until I have something to eat. So we're going to have to be careful about this.” 

“I think there's a lot I need to know about Digimon now. More than before,” Osamu said, a small smile tilting at the corners of his mouth. Wizarmon returned the smile. 

Their movements were quick and sharp, dedicated more to keeping them from being interfered with by the pack than anything else. Mimi and Sora seemed more interested in Miyako, who kept them at bay by throwing everything she could find that she could lift at her. That at least kept them from seeing Osamu and Wizarmon as they worked their way through the battlefield. 

* * *

Osamu gripped the Digivice in his hands as if it were a lifeline. Perhaps it was. He wasn't sure of what he could do with it but he had to do something. First he needed to stop Taichi from taunting Ken; that could only be leading his brother into a trap. But once that was done, then it would be Jou they struck next. They had to take care of him before he flew off with Daisuke. Probably all that kept him from doing so now was that Vamdemon hadn't ordered it. The pack could act independently, but they tended to wait for orders in battle. 

He couldn't see Pinnochimon, and somewhat suspected that their guide now lounged back out of the way, letting them handle the fighting. So long as he didn't interfere with their fight, Osamu was more than willing to let that slide. He'd only contracted to get them to the portal, not to help them fight. 

But it would've been nice if he'd helped anyway. 

“Get down here!” Ken yelled, hands clenched in fury. He ached to have some weapon in them, something that would pull Taichi down to him, or take him up there. “Let Daisuke go!” 

“I'm not the one who has him, or didn't you notice?” Taichi teased, landing on a wide outcropping of rock. “You really should be more careful with yourself anyway. Haven't you noticed? You're a little far from your friends.” 

Ken stopped in his tracks, eyes flickering to both sides. Two large Digimon flanked him, not in touching distance, but enough so running wasn't an option. He couldn't see if any of the others were close enough to do anything. 

_He did this on purpose._ A trap. And one he'd walked right into, out of concern for Daisuke. 

Well, he wasn't caught yet. He lifted his head to glare more fiercely at Taichi. “I don't care. I'm not letting any of you get away with him.” 

“You don't get to decide that. Vamdemon-sama wants him, Vamdemon-sama is going to have him.” Taichi's fangs glinted as he smiled. “But he wants you too. Just for something different. And _I_ get to be the one who changes you. Isn't that nice?” 

“Changing me wouldn't make me hate you any less,” Ken declared, moving from one side to the other, not wanting to give away any hint of what he planned to do. It would be reckless. It would be stupid. It would be a plan worthy of Daisuke. And it would probably be the only chance he had of making it out of this in one piece. 

“Oh, but that's the beautiful part. You see, when you're changed, you obey the one who changed you. That means, you're going to do what I want you to do. And Vamdemon-sama already told me what he wants you to do.” Taichi's fangs extended farther as he took a step forward, floating on insubstantial air. “You're going to be Daisuke's new bodyguard. You're going to keep him from running away or from being taken away by anyone else. And that will be your job _forever_.” 

Fire lit Ken's mind as it never had before. The vampires had given hints to this at other times but hearing it all so clearly, when Daisuke struggled still in a vampire's grip, gave it a reality that Ken had never imagined. He could not let it happen. He would not. 

He started to jump. He'd always been athletic, and a decade spent training to fight vampires and monsters had helped that. 

Before he could make the jump, a larger body slammed into him, sending him spiralling to the side. Ken stumbled to his feet, ready to take on whoever attacked him, and stared when he saw Osamu and Wizarmon there. “Big brother?” 

“We've got something better, Ken,” Osamu said and raised up the small device in his hand. He turned toward Taichi, who stared at them with a slight frown. “Do you remember what this is, Yagami?" 

Taichi focused on the device, then laughed, a raucous mocking sound that echoed from the ruins around them. One by one, the other vampires and Vamdemon, as well as the surrounding Digimon, turned to see what was going on. “A Digivice. So you think you're a Chosen Child now? A little old for it, aren't you?” 

“Maybe that's what we need right now. But whether I am or not, you know what this is, and so do I.” Osamu stood straight, staring at the vampire. 

“If you make one crack about 'shedding light', I think I'm going to make certain that you're your brother's first meal once I turn him,” Taichi declared. “Assuming you survive what I'm about to do to you, anyway.” 

Vampires were impossibly fast. Osamu had known that for years. He'd seldom seen it in action until recently, and he still couldn't believe how quickly Taichi charged for him. 

Pain racked Osamu's shoulders and back as something slammed into him, far harder than he had Ken, and he heard a small noise from too close as his hand cracked against the ground. _The Digivice?_ Agony clouded his thinking as Taichi pinned him to the ground. 

“I used one of those before you ever knew of the Digital World. You think I don't know its tricks?” Taichi hissed, red light scorching in his eyes. “You think I'd even let you try?” 

As swift as a vampire could be, something else was, this once, even swifter. Ken tackled Taichi with all of his strength, pulling him away from his brother. 

“You think I'm going to let you hurt Osamu?” Ken snapped. Without looking, he kicked backwards, and the Digivice skipped over the ground to land beside Osamu. “Let's see what that can do, big brother.” 

Osamu stumbled up, catching the Digivice up once more, trying so hard to ignore the pain that hadn't faded at all. Wizarmon, knocked to the side by Taichi's attack, landed beside him once again. The two looked at one another, then turned their gaze onto Taichi. 

The vampire crouched, eyes shimmering scarlet, a monster in a child's body. 

_We could've been friends,_ Ken thought, then shook his head. The boy who could've been his friend had died ten years ago. 

Osamu held the Digivice out, unsure of what to do but confident that this would help. He refused to back down, no matter what. _This is our world. And even if we have to leave, we'll come back, and take it back._

“Jou!” Taichi growled the word out. “Get Daisuke out of here! Keep the master's _pet_ safe!” 

There was no time to stop both of them, and Jou was too high up to risk him dropping Daisuke. Those thoughts scampered through Ken and Osamu's mind in near unison. They couldn't get Daisuke now, but they could do something. 

Light burst forth from the Digivice, sweeping toward Taichi. Light such as this hadn't been seen in this world for a decade's worth of years. He screamed, a sound more like the howl of a rabid beast than anything remotely human, his skin blistering, his eyes covered by one already scorched hand. Vamdemon, Mimi, and Sora all fell backward, trying to get away from the light as it burned. 

Osamu took a step forward. He didn't know if the light could destroy Taichi entirely but the chance to do so couldn't be passed up. 

“Hey!” Pinnochimon's voice came from farther along and Ken looked to see him standing in the doorway that led to the gate. “If you guys plan on going through, you'd better do it now! I can't keep this open forever!” 

Osamu hissed between his teeth; torn between putting an end to one of their enemies and finding a way to end them _all_ wasn't how he'd expected this to turn out. 

“I don't think we have a choice,” Miyako gasped, stumbling up with Jun, Iori, Hikari in her wake. Lady Devimon hovered nervously, eyes flicking between the panting Taichi and the furious Vamdemon. “We can come back and...” Miyako glanced for a moment to where Jou could only barely be seen, still with Daisuke in his arms. What worried them all was that he didn't seem to be fighting anymore. 

Ken wanted to stay. Osamu could read it in his eyes. The Digivice's light wasn't going to last forever, and already Taichi fell back into the deeper shades cast by it, taking in deep hitching breaths of unnecessry air. 

“Let's go,” Osamu said, not liking the words and not liking leaving Daisuke, whether they had to or not. “We'll come back.” He addressed it to Jun and Ken mostly, but the words were also a promise to himself, and to Daisuke. 

They'd taken Daisuke back from Vamdemon once before. They weren't going to let him stay there forever. 

* * *

Jou licked his lips; he hadn't had actual permission to drink from Daisuke, but he did have orders to make certain the master's pet didn't put himself into too much danger once taken back. Given how Daisuke had been struggling, Jou's only option had been to take just enough blood so the other passed out. It wouldn't put him in any danger, and would keep him unharmed. If the master minded, then Jou would take any punishment. 

He could definitely see why the master found Daisuke's blood tantalizing, though. Something coursed through it along with the sweet nourishment of life, something that thrummed of true passion. If he found someone this delicious to feed upon, he would never, ever let them go. 

Jou glanced behind himself long enough to see the light fading, even as the humans and their traitor Digimon companions scampered toward the gate. They would likely make it through; Phantomon's prediction all but said so. But the one whose fate wasn't determined now rested safely in his own arms. 

“Let me.” Jou turned back to see Vamdemon hovering in front of him. Blue eyes focused on his servant's fangs, and one finely crafted eyebrow lifted up in silent query. 

“I wanted to keep him quiet, Vamdemon-sama,” Jou explained at once. “This was the only way.” 

Vamdemon nodded a fraction even as Jou handed him over. Almost as soon as Daisuke lay in Vamdemon's arms, he stirred, eyes opening a fraction. Vamdemon smiled down at him, and if Jou had been human, he would've feared that look. 

“Rest, Daisuke. We have _much_ to discuss when you're ready for it.” 

Dasiuke stirred more, but only for a moment, as Vamdemon's will crushed his, and his eyes closed once more. 

Vamdemon turned his attention back to Jou. “Go check on the others. Taichi will need some kind of assistance. The guards on the gate are to be tripled. They'll try to come back. I want to know when they do.” 

“As you command, Vamdemon-sama,” Jou said, bowing swiftly before heading off to find his vampire brethren. 

* * *

As Jou left, Vamdemon ran the palm of his hand down Daisuke's face. It had been so long since he'd seen his precious blood-pet this close. He'd even missed him. 

_You'll never escape me again. Even if I don't have the bodyguard I wanted for you, I'll make certain that you never leave me._

Daisuke was going to be very useful to him in the time to come, he knew. The old war between himself and the Chosen was about to start again. 

He'd won their first war. Vamdemon had no intentions of losing this one, either. 

Going to the Digital World hadn't given them as escape. It simply meant they marched right into his allies' waiting hands. 

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** One more chapter and this story ends. Also, I haven't yet said it, but a sort of sub-title to this whole story has been "Vampires ruin _everything_."


	40. The End

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
 **Fandom:** Digimon Adventure/02  
 **Title:** Reign of the Undead King: Chapter 40: The End  
 **Characters:** Chosen Children, Piemon, Vamdemon  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 2,659||story: 106,055  
 **Genre:** Supernatural, Drama|| **Rated:** PG-13  
 **Notes:** Mimi x Sora/Sora x Mimi still exists, though they don't show up in this chapter. Mentions of vampirism throughout the story, as well as violence and death.  
 **Summary:** Vamdemon and Piemon rule supreme. Only now, ten years after their victory, are things about to change. For good or for ill.

* * *

In the Digital World, Piemon, Takeru, Yamato, Koushirou, their respective partners, MugenDramon, MetalSeaDramon, BlackRosemon, and a selection of every Dark Master's finest warriors stood arranged in a half-circle around the gateway. It would open soon; Vamdemon had sent word that those who thought they could defeat him had managed to cross through it. And since the gate only opened on Piemon's territory, his allies awaited the new arrivals. 

Yamato tested the edge of his blade. Piemon had already given orders that the new arrivals were to be captured, not killed. He had not yet made up his mind on what he wanted to do with them, and Vamdemon only wanted one of them returned. Something about a new bodyguard for his blood-pet. Yamato couldn't dredge up the interest to care. 

What his mind focused on was still the encounter with Oikawa. He couldn't imagine why Ishida Hiroaki and Takaishi Natsuko would try to find them. Shouldn't they have been given up for dead? 

It had been a long time since he'd thought anything of them. He'd done his best to put them out of his mind altogether, especially as he healed from his injuries. The Ishida Yamato that they knew was no more, after all. So why should they care about someone who didn't really exist? 

Light and energy began to build up suddenly around the portal, and all of those watching took a careful ready stance. Though this was the definition of 'overkill', the new arrivals would likely not politely wait to be captured, not if they arrived with any kind of awareness. The first trip was always the hardest, Yamato knew, which meant they might not. 

The light grew to blinding proportions, causing most of them there to cover their eyes to some extent. MugenDramon and most of his machines didn't need to bother. Yamato wished he were that lucky. 

There was a shout somewhere, a voice that none of them recognized, and then the light faded as quickly as it had arrived. 

Lowering one hand, Yamato stared forward, expecting to see a motley collection of humans and Digimon on the arrival platform. The tale Vamdemon told of the battle had given him the impression that even if this weren't their first trip, the humans would've been in no condition to hit the ground running. 

And yet that appeared to be exactly what they'd done, because there wasn't any sign of them there at all. Not so much as a strand of hair or a wisp of clothing. 

Piemon's hands gripped his Trump Swords harder as his scarlet eyes flared with fury. A single word escaped him, one that infuriated Yamato and Takeru as much as it did the ruling lord of the Digital World. 

“Gennai.” 

* * *

Ken knew he hadn't abandoned Daisuke. He knew it in his deepest heart. Yet his deepest heart wasn't the part of him that wanted to twist back through the gateway and find a way into Vamdemon's castle and get him back. 

_I will do it. Just not now,_ he promised himself as he began to breathe more easily. For now he had to... well, standing up would probably be a good idea. If he could figure out where his legs were. He believed they were still attached to his torso, but other than that, he couldn't get himself together enough to figure out how to get his feet on the ground. 

Perhaps opening his eyes would be a good start. He slowly managed to do so, dragging his lids open and blinking repeatedly until he convinced himself that what he saw was actually there, instead of being a hallucination. What convinced him was that he didn't remember this enough to dream up what it looked like. 

Sunlight. Sunlight, warm and golden, a single slender beam resting on his hand. He reached over with the opposite, gasping a little when he could feel the warmth there too. 

His head snapped up and what he saw over his head brought tears to his eyes. 

A blue sky. There were even a few puffy clouds weaving here and there. Something flew in the distance, but he couldn't see it well enough to know what it was. 

He swallowed. Blue sky. Sunshine. And now that he looked beyond where he sprawled, green grass and tall trees. It was the trees that completely convinced him that he really was awake. They were like nothing he'd ever seen in his life. He'd never studied trees extensively, but he remembered what they were like, and these were nothing like those. 

“You might all want to wake up. We need to get moving before any of Piemon's servants find you.” 

The voice wasn't one he recognized, but he found himself on his feet a heartbeat later, hand going for the knife at his waist. He felt more than a little stupid a few seconds later when he also found himself staring at an old man, white hair tied into a topknot, hands clasped behind his back. 

“Who are you?” Ken trusted no one at that moment, save for his brother and the rest of the resistance. And he had no idea of who this strange man was. 

The man didn't look even remotely bothered by Ken's hostility, though. “Is that how they say hello on Earth, now? I didn't think I was that out of date, Ichiijouji Ken.” 

Ken's eyes widened, but he didn't relax his stance one bit. “How do you know my name?” 

The answer didn't come from the stranger, but from a little off to Ken's left. “I would say because I told it to him. Isn't that right, Gennai?” 

Ken glanced over at Osamu, then back to the stranger. “You're Gennai?” 

“That I am.” The old man nodded, first to Ken, then to Osamu. “It's quite pleasant to meet you face to face, Osamu. I worried when I heard no one had heard of you all since your meeting with Wizarmon.” 

Osamu blinked, then looked down. “Wizarmon?” His partner remained next to him, only now stirring. 

“Ah, I see you've formed a bond. Good.” Gennai nodded in approval. “Then humans and Digimon still can work together. I worried about that.” 

Ken drew in a long breath. “Do you think we could actually get some _answers_ or is that too much to ask for?” 

“I can give you answers. What you need to do is find the right questions.” 

Before Ken could say anything, Osamu shook his head, a tired smile on the edges of his lips. “Yes. He's like that all the time.” He bent back down to carefully scoop Wizarmon up. “Where exactly are we?” 

It was a good question, and while 'a clearing in the Digital World' would've been a technically accurate answer, it didn't convey nearly all the information that Ken wanted. One by one everyone else began to get up, slowly taking in everything around them. LadyDevimon's gaze fell on Gennai and she tensed at once. 

Gennai, on the other hand, merely nodded toward her. “I see matters have changed quite a bit since the last time that I saw you. Of course, the last time I saw you, you were only an egg.” 

LadyDevimon tensed even further, her claws moving as if to prepare an attack. “Who are you and why are we here? We were going to land in Piemon's castle.” 

“Yes, I know. But I didn't think it would be very wise for the Chosen Children of Light and Kindness to arrive there, much less all the rest of you.” 

Quick glances sped among all of the resistance fighters. Only Wizarmon and LadyDevimon didn't seem bothered by what he said, but both directed their looks toward Hikari, who only looked confused. 

“What are you talking about, sir?” she asked, her voice quiet and worried. She remained close by LadyDevimon, shading her eyes with one hand, and Ken remembered only then that she'd spent her last decade of life in an even worse prison than the one Vamdemon had made of Earth. To see other people probably terrified her on some levels. 

Gennai responded just as quietly as she spoke. “You are the Chosen of Light, my dear. And you - ” he now looked toward Ken, “you are the Chosen of Kindness.” 

“Explanations.” Jun bit the word off, weary and drained of all of her energy after everything. She was likely as worried as he was over Daisuke, Ken thought. “Not now. Can we go somewhere else?” 

“Of course. I only brought you here because Piemon will be able to trace how I twisted the portal and I didn't want him to find my new base. I've brought some friends who will be of help getting you all there. Most of you don't look in any condition to go on your own.” 

Ken would've objected, if his legs hadn't wobbled underneath him to the point he was surprised he didn't pitch forward onto his face. They would probably need help of some kind. 

At Gennai's gesture, several four-legged forms came out of the surrounding wilderness. At first Ken thought they were horses, until he got a better look, and his breath caught in his throat. 

“Are those... unicorns?” Miyako asked, voicing what he didn't. 

“We are Unimon.” The horned creature in the lead spoke, looking her in the eyes. “We will assist you in going to Gennai's base.” 

No one had the time or the energy to argue. Mounting the Unimon wasn't all that hard; they knelt down to make it easier, and rose up quickly once their riders were on. Even Hikari and LadyDevimon took up a position on one; LadyDevimon was far too tired to try flying with Hikari in her arms. Nor did Wizarmon feel up to doing any flying right now. Ken could tell Osamu wasn't bothered by this at all. He hovered over the magician Digimon like the proverbial mother hen. 

“Everyone ready?” Gennai asked, climbing into his own conveyance, something that he called a Mechanorimon. Ken could see Miyako all but slavering over it, itching for a chance to take it apart and see what made it work. Working electronics were hard to come by on Earth and they needed to keep what they could in repair. That meant no taking things apart without putting them back together. 

“As ready as we'll get,” Osamu said, hands wrapped carefully in his Unimon's mane. 

The Unimon herd galloped forward, going along a brief trail that led to a wider meadow. Almost as one, the herd leaped into the air, flying as easily as they ran. Ken held back a cry of confused joy, never having imagined being this high in the air. Old stories of planes and kites flickered through his mind, but those were nothing compared to the reality he lived now. 

Sunlight wrapped warmly around them all, the wind tousling their hair, the scent of flowers and grass and trees rising all around them. A tiny part of Ken wept even harder than usual at this. 

_This world is supposed to be under an evil Digimon's rule, too. But he didn't wreck it. He didn't take the stars and the sun from the Digimon here. Why did Vamdemon?_

It couldn't even be just because of being a vampire. Surely the night would've been enough. But Vamdemon clouded the skies and ruled them constantly, giving them not even a moment of rest. 

All anew, Ken pledged that he would find a way to destroy the vampire and set his world free once more. Whatever the cost, he would pay it. 

For now, he clung to Unimon's mane, and rode in the sunlight, and wanted answers to his questions. 

* * *

“Wake up.” The voice cracked through Daisuke's mind and his eyes flew open. He wasn't sure if it was because of the order itself or because of the noise the voice made, but either way, he was awake now. He blinked, looking around, and groaned. 

Not here. Not again. He thought he'd never see this place again. But here he rested on the small couch that served him as a bed in Vamdemon's castle. 

And there he stood, the vampire himself, in the doorway, staring down at Daisuke with frigid blue eyes. Almost without thinking, Daisuke's hand flew up to his neck, and he found himself more than a little surprised to feel only bare skin there. 

“Looking for this?” Vamdemon held up the slender ring of leather. Daisuke started to lever himself to his feet. 

“I thought you'd want to get it on me right away.” There wasn't much room in here to do anything, and he knew that Vamdemon knew it. Getting out wasn't an option. Not from here, not with Vamdemon right there. 

Great. He could only hope Ken and the others had made it through the gate without him. 

“I wanted you to be awake for it. Since you missed other interesting events.” Vamdemon smiled, in that way that showed his fangs and his amusement at the same time. Daisuke tried to move around, just to get a little blood flowing in the way that he wanted, instead of waiting around for Vamdemon to bite him. He realized as he did so that he once more wore the silk and velvet outfit that had been his before as Vamdemon's blood-pet. It had to be a different one since he'd grown since then, but in style and materials it was the same. 

All things considered, he was just as glad that he hadn't been awake for _that_. 

Then what else Vamdemon said clicked into his mind and he glared at his captor. “What events? Where are my friends?” _Ken!!_

The vampire lord smiled again, and there was nothing at all kind about that. He savored Daisuke's anger and fear as if they were a fine wine. “I fear they didn't make it to the gate. The pack and I have fed quite well.” His gaze landed on Daisuke's neck. “Not that I don't have some space left for a few drops from you as well. It's been _so_ long. I want to know how your adult blood tastes.” 

“You are a grade-A, certified _bastard_!” Daisuke snapped, surging forward. He didn't care that Vamdemon could break his spine with one finger. He wasn't going to sit there and let this go. His fists pounded uselessly against Vamdemon's chest and stomach, tears of fury and grief sparking in his eyes. He didn't want to let them fall, not unless it were into a pile of Vamdemon's ashes. But he couldn't make that happen. He didn't have a stake or his crossbow or anything. All he had were his fists, and when Vamdemon tired of letting him pound on him, the vampire wrapped gloved hands around Daisuke's wrists and pushed him back to the couch. 

“And you are in need of a nap. You're quite the cranky child today, I see. I'll sample you later,” Vamdemon said. Daisuke glared more harshly at him, wishing there were some way he could do something. All the fury and fire and stubbornness in the world could do nothing when he had nothing at all to fight with. 

Vamdemon released Daisuke's wrists, then took hold of the teen's chin with one hand, tilting his head back. Daisuke tensed, his struggles automatic and useless. He knew what came next. Vamdemon had said he would sample 'later'. This was something else. 

With his free hand, Vamdemon retrieved the collar and quickly snapped it into place around Daisuke's neck. He breathed a word or two over it, and Daisuke heard the click he knew far too well. Ken and Osamu had freed him from it once before, using methods he didn't know, but they weren't there now. They might never be there again. 

“Sleep,” Vamdemon ordered, and all the strength faded from Daisuke as his eyes closed, and the shadows enfolded him. 

**THE END**

**Notes:** The end of this story, not the end of this world. I have more in mind, but it will take me a while to get to it, since I want to organize everything much better than I did here, and maybe pre-write all of it first. But it will happen. I'm also still planning for that Mimi x Sora side story. All in due time! 

But this is the end of Story #1 of the series I'm calling _Division of Destiny_. At least until I come up with a better name for it.


End file.
